Ame ni Shichigatsu
by Rae-chan33
Summary: Sasuke stared at the child, nervouse sweat dripping down his forehead as the boy crawled twords him. How to make this kid understand that Sasuke was NOT his 'Master! AU SasuNaru COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Where... the hell... did this come from?!**

**I sure as hell shouldn't be writting a new fricken' story!! What the hell!! Im a terrible updater!! Shame on me!!**

**But then again, I do feel like writting a new one... esspecialy one like this...**

**ah I feel like such a pervert but I really have a thing for SasuNaru where Naru-tan is much younger and Sasuke comes off as a bigger pervert then I am. Which makes me feel better about myself.**

**Warning: yaoi, pedo-Sasuke (hahahaa), child abuse, and other unsavory occurences**

**disclaimer: i dont own naruto. I'm just borrowing him for entertainment perpouses.  
**

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke stared at the undulating grey mass of clouds that covered every inch of sky stretched out over the unnaturualy empty streets of one of the business districts of Tokyo's Chiyoda ward. It was a very odd day, this kind of weather in July. Even the news hadn't predicted the sudden storm. 

Yet it wasn't just a random day. It was the 23ed, the day that marked Sasuke's 24th year of life. His family, which consisted of only his elder brother Itachi and a friend of his dead parents, Hatake Kakashi, planned on making a big deal of it, but Sasuke had quickly put a stop to thier plans of any sort of celebration.

One more year of life didn't mean much to the youngest of the Uchiha clan. For Sasuke, life had been planned out from the day he was born to the day he died, with no side tracking. His life was one boring repetitive day after another.

That wasn't going to change anytime soon.

It took Sasuke ten minutes to walk out of his office, take the elevator down thirty floors, and unlock the door of his black Acura NSX. A peresent from Itachi three years ago. Sasuke had a feeling Itachi had meant it more as a show of power that he could in fact obtian such a machine then a loving gesture.

Rain had begun to patter down on the windshield as Sasuke drove through the empty streets. It was a little sad, acctualy, that he was now twenty-four years old and had no social life to speak of, had no girlfriend (perish the thought), and had only two or three friends. All he had was his Family owned multi-billion dollar company that he inherited and now shared with Itachi, his rediculousely expensive house, his car, and his good loo-

"_Holy shit_!!"

Sasuke gripped his steering wheel and floored the brake, swerving violently on rain slicked asphalt. The rain was harder now, and visibility was low, but he was highly releived that whatever had ran out in front of his car just now, he hadn't hit.

What in the hell was that anyway?!

Sasuke opened his car door, stepping out into the rain, his black, spiked hair immediatley getting soaked through and his bangs sticking against his face. The air and water combined was freezing, making Sasuke clutch his suit jacket closer to his body. His onyx eyes squinted through the downpour, searching the road.

There was a bundle in the middle of the road, like a large pile of dirty white rags. Sasuke would have dissmissed it exactly as such, and driven off, but instead he just stared, squinting through the rain. And then...

The pile of rags moved, and a small whimper that he could only barely hear through the pattering rain was emitted.

'_Oh god... please let that be some animal...'_ Sasuke begged whatever deity controled fate as he ran through the rain and kneeled next to the object.

To Sasuke's horror, it wasn't an animal, nor was it just a pile of rags.

"Shit... _shit shit shit!!"_ he cursed out loud apon seeing that it was in fact the frail body of a child. This was not the turn of fate he had in mind.

All that Sasuke could tell as he gently and hesitantly lifted the child up, was that the kid was most likely a boy . The short spikes of most likely dark brown hair was flattened to the boy's strangely scarred face, but Sasuke couldn't be sure with the lack of light and the blur of the rain in his eyes. Regardless, he ran back to his car with the clearly injured youth, feeling the boy's very light body shake from the freezing temperature.

* * *

Sasuke sat in the empty hospital waiting room, staring at white linolium floor. His body felt uncomfortably damp, his body heat returnng and creating an unpleasent muggy feeling. No sooner had he pulled up at the hospital and ran through the emergency room door that the small boy had been carted off, half a dozen doctors and nurses rushing him off to (probably) some operating room. Sasuke was left to fill out paper work he had no idea how to fill out. 

The boys name was left blank, his age, pretty much everything. In fact, the only thing Sasuke could say for sure was that he was a boy, young, with dark brown hair and strange scars on his cheeks that he only got a glimps of in the flouresent lighting of the hospital. Truth be told, the kid might have even been a girl, as he was so frail and sort of looked like one. Hell, Sasuke had only assumed that he was a boy from his short hair. But maybe the kid was a girl.

But the biggest hint the kid gave off was his finacial status. Obviousely he was poor, and probably lived with a family that had little or nothing to their name. Surely the kid's parents would freak out over the medical bills, but Sasuke immediately planned on paying for anything that was needed. Not only was this becuase he could afford it, but also because it was mostly his fault. God forbid they were the type that fancied to sue.

"Uchiha-san?" A pink haired nurse said softly, walking into the room while holding the door open for a very large busted blond doctor.

"Ah." Sasuke stood up, nodding his head to the two women. The blond doctor nodded back, surveying the Uchiha with calculating amber eyes.

"I'm Dr.Tsunade. This is Haruno Sakura. You the boy's father?" she asked. Sasuke shook his head, but mentaly noted that he was correct in assuming the kid was male. Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I didn't think you two looked alike, but I thought maybe he resembled his mother. So who are you to him then?" she said.

"I was the one driving the car that hit him." Sasuke responded. Sakura gasped a little and Tsunade placed her hands on her hips.

"Is that right? I suppose you'll be footing the bill then, correct?" she asked with a tone that suggested almost as if Sasuke had no choice.

"Of course. His parents don't have to pay for anything." he replied. Tsunade waved a hand around.

"They wouldn't pay for anything anyway. He told us before he went under anesthesia that he had no parents or guardian. He was so worried acctualy, telling us that he doesn't have much money, but we can take what he saved up. Although, 500 yen wont do us much good." she informed the slightly shocked business man.

"He has no parents?" he repeated.

"Thats what he told us. But money is only the less important reason I came out to speak with you. The boy's injuries." Tsunade started. Sasuke nodded, and Tsunade in turn nodded to Sakura before walking off. Sakura bowed and opened the door she had just walked out of.

"If you'd follow me, please, Uchiha-san." she asked, holding the door open. Sasuke followed after her, ignoring her frequent shy blushing glances. He had no intrest in this woman, and found that he was far more interested in the boy's condition then anything else at the moment. It was odd, how he had little curiosity before he found out that the child had no parents.

"This is his room, Uchiha-san. He should still be asleep, but if he wakes up, please inform either myself or the Head Nurse, Shizune-sensei. If you'd like, I can stay with you while-"

"No need Haruno-san." Sasuke interupted the pink haired young woman before she could make a fool of herself. Sakura blushed and looked a little down cast, but nodded and walked back down the hall. Sasuke stared at the door, fingers on the handle before slowly sliding it open.

His breath caught in his throat.

The boy, which now that Sasuke could see him more clearly, was quite cute. He looked about 10 years old, but was very fragile and thin, giving off a feminin appearance. The hair Sasuke had thought was dark brown must have been covered in dirt and filth at the time (god forbid it had been blood), as it now was a brilliant golden blonde. His skin was bruised in some areas, yet held a soft natrual tan. His face was peacefull, a few small cuts that looked like they had been healing for a while were scattered here and there on the boys innocent face.

But... what about the three thin scars that lined his each of his plush cheeks? They were cute, like little fox whiskers, if it wasn't so demented that they looked almost like they had been perpously carved into the kid's face.

Sasuke pulled up a chair and sat himself as close to the bed as possible. Soft breaths of air puffed in and out of the blond's full pink lips. Dark grey eyes softend, though Sasuke didn't relize it. He leaned back and snatched up the silver clipboard at the foot of the bed. He read down the list of injuries the kid had sustained (again remindigng him it was his fualt for grazing the innocent little boy).

He was suprised though, that the only injuries was a broken wrist, bruised ribs, and numerouse other bruising patterns. There was a side note, at the bottom, written in femanin handwritting.

'_Panteint has sighns of injuries that have been left untreated for an elongated period of time. Damage to vocal chords has been diagnosed that didn't seem to been inflicted by the accident...'_

Sasuke frowned and placed the clipboard back where he found it, leaning back in his chair to stare at the boy. Looking more carefully now, he did notice that on the kid's thin tan arms were lined with scars and bruises that were yellowed from healing.

"I have a feeling you didn't get those from playing out in a yard..."Sasuke muttered more to himself then to the little blond. There was a soft rustle of blanket and a tiny groan. Sasuke retracted his hand imediately as though he had been burned. His heart skipped a beat when brilliant blue eyes drifted open to lock on his own dark grey.

"Nnng...Mas..ter...?" the boy whispered. Sasuke frowned.

'_Master'...?_

_

* * *

_

**Heh, What do you think of the first chapter? Don't mind the spelling, I wrote this entirely on my dad's laptop and it doesn't have the automatic spell check my other computer does. But! Niisan is hogging it and I havn't a choice. Hes a FlyFF adict. **

**Wwell, tell me what you think! Should I continue? Maaaybe?**

**Rae-chan**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yaaay! People liked the first chapter! Im so happy!**

**Yaaaaaaay!!!**

**Well, this calls for another, what'dya say?**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Naruto**

**Warning: Yaoi, Pedo-ness, Child abuse, and other unsavory happenings.**

* * *

_Ame ni Shichigatsu - Rain in July_

* * *

"Ah, has he woken up Uchiha-san?" 

Sasuke pulled his gaze away from the startlingly blue eyed boy, hastily standing up to face the woman who had just walked into the room. She was a very kind looking nurse, with short black hair and eyes, a tag on her white dress that showed the name 'Head Nurse Shizune'. Sasuke recognized her as the woman Sakura had mentioned.

"Ah, h-hai." Sasuke replied, glancing at the child who was now sitting up and staring up at the Uchiha with his head tilted to the side in an adorable confused manner. Shizune smiled and walked foreward, gently pushing the blond back into a laying position.

"Now now, you need to rest more. But, while your awake, can you tell me your name?" she asked while re-tucking the boy in. The blue eyed child bit his lip and had a considering expression on his whiskered face.

Sasuke whatched from the sidelines, feeling out of place. In truth, all he had to do was tell them to send him the bill, and then get the hell out of there. This wasn't exactly the most Hallmark Card birthday he could have hoped for, afterall. But still, he didn't want to seem heartless and skip out without at least learning the little blond's name.

However, the child seemed quite hesitant about saying anything at all. Shizune frowned and looked up at Sasuke.

"Hmm. He must be shy. Has he said anything to you?" she asked. Sasuke blinked and suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He had a feeling that outright saying 'Yeah the kid woke up and called me Master.' wasn't the best idea. So he instead cleared his throat and shook his head. Shizune frowned and looked back at the boy.

"Well, I know you had damage to your vocal chords, Tsunade-sensei found out as much, but you can't be mute. You spoke before, when you were brought in. So, are you just shy?" she asked nicely. The blond stared at his small tan hands, and shook his head.

"Nn..." the kid made a mumbling noise, pulling the blankets up over his head, with only his tiny fingers showing and a few spikes of blond. Shizune gave a exasprated laugh and stood up straight, facing Sasuke with a sweat drop.

"Well, I guess he really is shy."

Sasuke shrugged and stared tiredly out the window. His watch told him it was 3:15 a.m. last time he checked it, which was probably around half an hour ago. He was surprised that this woman and the others who had spoken to him were able to look so awake at at such an earlier (or late) hour. He himself however was starting to feel the stress of the day building up.

"Uchiha-san, you look tired. You can go home if you'd like." Shizune suddenly said, glancing up from writting something on the blonde's chart. There was a rustle of fabric, and Sasuke looked down at the bed to see the little boy had pulled the sheet down far enough to peek at him with one bright blue eye that seemed to look a little worried. The Uchiha felt a tiny, _tiny_ pang in his stomach at the action. What a child.

"When is he going to be well enough to leave?" Sasuke didn't even know why he was asking. Shizune tapped a pen to her lips and took another look at the boy's chart.

"Hmm. Well, he seems to be alright, just needs lots of rest and to be given a set of clean bandages that he needs to change daily. Other then that he should he fine to leave now actually." she anounced with a smile and gently patted the lump in the sheets where the blond's shoulder would be. There was a squeak and the eye that had been studying Sasuke was back under the covers. Sasuke felt the corners of his lip twitch upward.

"Right. I'll be waiting to take him home then."

Shizune blinked as Sasuke walked out of the room.

"Ah...H-Hai Uchiha-san!"

A pair of happy blue eyes under a mop of blond stared at the closed door.

* * *

"_You did what?"_

"You know I hate repeating myself, Itachi."

"_I'm just finding it difficult to understand. You ran over a child, Otouto?"_

"Don't be stupid! I didn't 'run him over', I grazed him by accident."

"_I see. Just wait untill Kakashi hears about this. You should be thankfull we have more money then we know what to do with, you can pay off the parents."_

"No need. He doesn't have any. No guardian either."

"_...Is that right? How old is he?"_

"Why did you have to sound like some creep when you said that? I don't know how old he is, but I'm guessing around 10."

_"Really? So. What are you going to do now?"_

"I'm...takingimome..."

"_What was that? Speak up and don't mumble."_

"I said... I'm taking him home."

_"...I shall inform Kakashi imediately. More people must be made aware of this."_

_"_Shut up Itachi! Its not like I'm keeping him. I'm just letting him stay untill hes healed completely. I feel guilty enough as it is, letting him stay is the least I can do."

_"My my, he must really be cute then. When exactly will the child begin his residency?"_

"Later on today. They're getting him ready right now."

"_I see. Well then I think I'll stop by your house later. Maybe Kakashi would like to come too."_

_"_What?! No! Why?! Don't come! Don't come!"

_"Its been too long since I visited my little brother I think..."_

"I just saw you yesterday! You just want to torture me or something with you're weird personality!"

"_I shall see you soon, little brother, you and your new child-slave..."_

"Itachi! Itachi damnit stop talking in that weird way!! You bastard, hes not a slave! Itachi?!"

Sasuke threw his black motorola cell phone into the light green wall of the waiting room, smashing it to bits. He'd have to buy another one, but it was hardly a raindrop in an ocean. He was ticked at his stupid older brother who had decided to Oh-So-Lovingly give him a call to which him a happy birthday.

At four 'o clock in the morning, waking him up from where he was sleeping on the uncomfortable waiting room chairs.

After thier parents died when Sasuke was ten and Itachi fifteen, Sasuke had become cold and distant, rejecting everyone around him. Itachi on the other hand had formed a personality that could only be discribed as... 'different'. He was aloof, sarcastic, and flamboyant. Not the flamboyant that meant he wore bright colored themed clothes, but it was more that he forged interesting aquaintences with colorful _people._ Regardless of this he-

"Uchiha-san, will you be taking the boy now?"

Sasuke didn't much like the pink haired nurse who dared interupt his train of though. But one glance down at the figure who was sitting in a wheelchair with sleepy blue eyes, thin tan arms wrapped around a overstuffed teddy bear witht he Hospital crest sewn on the furry chest, and Sasuke felt his annoyance and fatiegue melt away.

"Hai." he responded standing up and taking the handles of the wheelchair. Sakura blushed and wrung her hands together.

"A-ano, Sasuke-kun, I was wondering-"

"Its Uchiha-san, and I'm not interested." Sasuke interupted, making the young woman frown and look down at her feet sadly. He knew it was rude of him, but he delt with that type of woman all the time, and it paid to just be as rude as possible. Some were more persistent then others, and Sasuke could tell by that gleam in the woman's emrald eyes that she would probably be one of the persistant ones.

"W-well alright... bring him in again if there are any problems, Sa-ah...Uchiha-san." she said with a bow. Sasuke gave a little 'Hn' and carted the little boy out of the automatic doors of the emergency room. He stopped befor entering the parking lot and looked down at the blond.

"Can you walk alright, or should I cary you?" he asked.

The boy hugged the bear in his arms close wiht a thoughtful expression befor smiling and stretching his arms out and up, a clear sign he wanted to be carried. Sasuke would have given a little chuckle had it not been for the fact that he felt like the kid was conning him into getting a free ride. He knew because he would do the same thing to Itachi when he was little. With a sigh he bent down and lifted both the boy and the bear up, a bit shocked that the load was so light.

As he neared the car, he felt the small blonde stiffen in his arms. He mentaly berated himself. Of course the kid would be nervouse about going _near_ the very car that had only a few hours ago, 'grazed' the fuck out of him.

"Ah, well, my house isn't that far off, you wont have to drive for long, alright?" he reassured the child who was now gripping his wrinkled white dress shirt with on hand and the stuffed toy with the other. Big blue eyes stared up at Sasuke, and the boy gave a little nod, allowing the older man to buckle him into the passenger seat.

As Sasuke began driving down the empty streets, taking occasional sideways glances at the tired looking boy who was sitting in the leather seat in the tattered white yukata he had been taken to the hospital in. Sasuke gulped.

"So... you want to tell me your name?" he asked, not expecting the boy to dicide to answer.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Sasuke damn near jumped out of his skin in shock that the kid acctualy spoke loud and clear what was without a doubt, his name. The little blond, this 'Naruto', smiled happily up at Sasuke, eyes closed in happy little arcs.

"Why...didn't you say it when Shizune-san asked you?" Sasuke asked, trying to keep his eyes on the road even though the sight of the smiling boy was much more appealing.

Because he was a cute little kid, not any other reason... that would be gross. Yeah, and Sasuke wasn't that way.

Naruto pouted and stared out the window at the buildings rushing past.

"She's not my master." he said. Sasuke furrowed his brows. So, he _hadn't_ imagined the kid's first words apon waking up.

"What exactly do you mean 'master'? Like, your sensei?" he asked. Naruto squinted his eyes.

"Sensei? Whats a sensei? I meant Master. You know, Master, my owner." he said with a half happy half sad expression. Had they not already pulled in front of his house, Sasuke would have slammed on the brakes.

"Owner?! You mean an _actual _Master?!"

Sasuke stared flabergasted at the little blonde who didn't seem to understand what the big deal was. The raven haired man felt a surge questionable tightnings in his chest.

What the fuck kind of life was this kid living? Having a 'Master'/'Owner', bruises and cuts all over his tiny body...

He had no parents, nor any guardian, so where had he been living? Who had been taking care of him, making sure he wasn't dead from day to day. What kind of a person was the one whom Naruto called 'Master'?

With a sigh Sasuke looked at his whatch again, silently groaning at the time 4:23 in the morning. A little yawn came from beside him as Sasuke opened the door and went around to get the little blond out of his seat. He knew how Naruto felt, he was tired as hell too.

Blue eyes stared up with shock as Naruto took in the sheer magnitude of Sasuke 'home'. To the Uchiha, the three story classic japanese style mansion was just a house. The air inside was always cold and empty.

"How many people live here, Ousan?" Naruto asked. Sasuke sweatdropped that the kid was now calling him 'Ousan' (Mister). Wwell at least it wasn't 'master'.

"Just me, Naruto-kun." he replied, unlocking the front door and stepping out of his shoes. He noted Naruto wasn't wearing any, not even a pair of zori on his tan little feet. Sasuke's lips turned down in dissaproval.

This kid...

"You live here all by your self, Ousan? Don't you get lonely?" Sasuke blinked and coughed, walking up the hallway-like staircase.

"Well... I guess it can be, at times. But my older brother and a friend of my parents comes over every now and then to bother me." he said. Sky blue eyes grew wide.

"Eh?! You have a Niisan?! I always wanted one, but Master said I didn't need one, and that no one would want me as thier little brother..." Naruto said with a downcast expression. Sasuke felt a pang of anger.

"Thats rediculouse." he said, bringing Naruto into his room and gently setting the boy down on his bed. He knew that that would have sounded alot worse to someone who thought he was a pervert. But Naruto was just a kid, and so innnocent looking, it was impossible to think of doing anything to such a child.

Sasuke rummaged through his closet, finding his oldest (and therefor smallest) set of cloths he could. In the end, he winded up with a t-shirt he used to wear to sleep, which, when he held it up to Naruto, was still going to be a bit too big.

"Sorry, but all I've got for you to change into is this. Its going to be a little too big for you, but it'll do untill I can get something else." he said, handing the shirt to the boy. Naruto blinked at the black fabric in confusion.

"Go ahead and change while I take a shower. I'll be back in a few minutes, if you can't wait, just go ahead and go to sleep." Sasuke said, trying his best to smile at the blond in a reassuring fassion. Naruto stared up at him, a lost look in his eyes, and gave a little bow. Sasuke frowned again, but shrugged it off.

As the bathroom door shut, Naruto stared at the shirt in his hands, his teddy bear next to him, offering no advise.

------

Sasuke opened the door of the bathroom twenty minutes later, steam billowing out behind him. His grey sweat pants safely clinging to his hips and a white towl being ran threw his raven black spikes, he walked back into the room.

He froze.

Naruto was passed out, the oversized black shirt like a dress on him, and his thin arms wrapped around the fluffy white Hospital bear. It would have been an adorable sight, had Naruto not been sleeping on the floor.

"What the..." Sasuke stood looking down at the boy.

'_Stupid kid! Doesn't he know that with his injuries he can't just go to sleep where its most conveniant!' _Sasuke thought irritatedly, trying his best to lift the boy up and onto one side of the queen sized bed without waking him up. That didn't seem to be an issue as Naruto was passed the point of 'light sleeper'.

Securing the bear back into the whisker scared child's clutches, Sasuke heaved a sigh and pulled covers up to thin shoulders. It was waaay too early to worry about if it was socialy acceptable to allow a 10 year old to share his bed, and as soon as Sasuke's head hit his pillow, he was asleep.

While he slept, the smaller body at the other side of the large bed moved unconciousely closer to the warth emitted from the pale man.

* * *

"Whats your name?" 

"You sure are a cutie! I bet Iruka would die over you."

_Ugh... so tired... whos talking like that...?_

"Don't be shy. My name is Itachi, so now can you tell me yours?"

_Itachi..? You already know my name Niisan... _

"...Uzumaki Naruto..."

_..Who? Who's that...? Oh, I remember... that kid._

"What a cute name, like those swirly fish cakes. Well my name is Hatake Kakashi, its nice to meet you Naruto-chan."

_Kakashi? What is he doing in my dream? So damn tired... stop talking._

"Otouto is still asleep, I see. Oh well, its more fun without him. Now, Naruto-kun, tell us, how old are you?"

_Damn Itachi, talking about me like that.._

"I'm 12, Itachi-sama."

_Ah, he said hes 12. I should wake up, he sounds scared._

"Don't bother with that '-sama', you can call me 'Ita-nii' if you want.You're twelve Naruto-kun? But you're so small and cute, you can easily pass for younger. And you look like a girl."

"G-gomen nasai."

"Aw! He apologized! How cute! You don't have to apologize for that Naruto-chan."

_Who the hell is still talking..? Go away, I want to sleep..._

"I bet Otouto had all sorts of fun with you last night, didn't he Naruto-kun? I never thought of Sasuke as the cuddeling type during sleep but-"

"ITACHI GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY ROOM. YOU TOO KAKASHI."

Sasuke bolted upright in his bed, glaring at the two men who were sitting on his floor, little Naruto sitting between the two, bitting the ear of his bear and wearing the dress shirt with the neckline over his shoulder, showing off bandages, halfhealed cuts and bruises. Itachi looked up placidly unfazed by his younger brother's sudden reunion to the world of the living.

"Ah. Otouto, I was just saying that we should wake you up." he drawled with laced amusment. Sasuke's glare deepend.

"You liar. I heard every word you said. Get the fuck out of my room." he snapped, moving to sit with his legs over the side of the bed and running his hands through his hair to put some order to it.

"Ah you're such a terrible influence around children Sasuke! Come on Naruto-chan, lets get you breakfast downstairs and get you away from this naughty man." Kakashi said, picking up Naruto from the floor and carfully wrapping his thin legs around his broad chest and carted him out of the room. Naruto grinned and waved 'bye' to Sasuke from over Kakashi's shoulder. Sasuke could hear Naruto in the hall asking what breakfast was.

Sasuke was left to glare at Itachi, who had bent down to retrieve the bear that was left behind.

"What time is it...?" Sasuke asked. Itachi smirked.

"Ten o' clock in the afternoon. You've slept long enough" the older Uchiha said, adding the last part when Sasuke had let out a loud groan.

"He's cute Otouto."

Sasuke looked up at his brother, who was standing in the doorway with his back to him.

"Don't try to make me out as some pervert Aniki." he warned. Itachi let out a scoff-like chuckle.

"Its just odd isn't it?" He muttered. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"What is?"

Itachi moved to close the door, looking back over his shoulder.

"A little boy as cute as Naruto-kun, with no parents, and injuried all over his body. Some of those bruises look like finger prints, and the ones on his neck look too much like bite marks." he said quietly. Sasuke's eyes widened.

"J-just what do you mean?! You think someone's been molesting him or something?" he asked. Itachi shrugged.

"Its a possibility. You should be cuatiouse of how you go about taking care of the boy. Don't do anything thoughtless." the older raven warned, closing the door behind him.

Sasuke stared at the closed door, ignoring Itachi's shout on his way down stairs to tell Naruto he had left his bear.

Sasuke found himself wondering for the third or second time since arriving at the hospital in the pouring rain... Just what kind of kid was Naruto?

_What a terrible life he could be living._

* * *

**Heh, this was a pretty long chapter.**

**I- I hope it came out alright.**

**thank you for reading, and for giving me such kind reviews on the first chapter. **

**-Rae-chan**


	3. Chapter 3

**W-wow! I can't believe it! So many people support this story! Do you relize what this means?!**

**...you're all perverts.**

**Hahahaha, I kid, I kid! I'm the one writting it, so that speaks volumes about me, doesn't it? Oh well, I've said it from the begining, Im a Super Pervert.**

**-sigh-**

**My father was right, theres just no use trying to fix it...**

**But seriousely, with only two chapters so far, this story has already gotten more love then my other one! Weee!!**

**On with chapter 3!**

**Warning: yaoi, Child Abuse, Pedo-ness from most of male cast**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto... damn. **

* * *

Sasuke walked into his kitchen, dressed in baggy jeans and a button down white shirt. Even though he had decided to take the day off, he was the type who belived in changing into public-wearable clothes instead of walking around in his pajamas. 

The talking had moved on to the dinning area when Sasuke dragged his feet along the hardwood floor into the kitchen, going straight to his fridge to get orange juice. Well, he would have gotten orange juice had there been any in there. Speaking of which, Sasuke had to wonder why exactly most of the little food he had _in_ his fridge was now gone.

"Its alright Naruto-chan! Eat, eat!" Kakashi coaxing voice came from behind the sliding fusuma across the room. Sasuke groaned and went to invesigate.

"What... the hell... are you both doing...?"

Ebony eyebrows twitched at the sight of Kakashi and Itachi leaning over Naruto who was sitting idely in Kakashi's lap. Three pairs of eyes moved to Sasuke as he entered the room, however large his scowel was.

"Ah, come join us for breakfast Sasuke!" Kakashi chimed, pointing to the corner of the chabudai to the right of his (and Naruto's) seat. Sasuke's scowel became more pronounced as he sat. After a few moments he felt, more then saw, a pair of blue eyes boaring into him, and, sure enough, when he glanced at Naruto, the child was staring at him.

"Ohayo Naruto." he greeted. The little blond smiled happily.

"Ohayo Sasuke-sama!" he chirped before leaning into the table and choosing a takuan and hastily chewing on the little yellow vegitable. Sasuke had to smile, despite his lack of enthusiasm at the '-sama' honorific. But, he supposed it was better then outright calling him 'master', something that now unsetteled him further thanks to Itachi's perveres ideas of how cute children without guardians are treated.

"Hm. Thats strange." Kakashi mused, staring down at Naruto (who was now allowing Itachi to hand-feed him slices of sashimi as though he were a kitten). Sasuke lazily glanced at the man, grabbing up a tomato onigiri, taking a dignified bite.

"What? That you raided my fridge for the sake of one breakfast?" he deadpaned. Kakashi shook his head, silver spikes of hair tosseling at the movement. In his lap, Naruto bent backward so that while his body was facing Itachi, his head was staring at Sasuke and Kakashi upside down, a fried sardine's tail caught between his lips, moving as he chewed it.

"Its just... Naruto-chan didn't eat untill you and he exchanged greetings. When it was just us, I could tell he wanted to start in, but he held back untill you got here." Kakashi informed. Sasuke changed his gaze from the older man to the upside down blond in Kakashi's lap.

"Is that right Naruto? You didn't have to wait for me to get down here." he said, reassuing the boy as best he could. Naruto finished swallowing his fish and smiled.

"Its the rules. No eating unless a master is in the room, or if he says so. Its the rules." he said almost roboticly, as though that very sentance was ingrained into his basic instincts of life. Dark eyes hardened and turned seriouse, calculating. Sasuke, Itachi, and Kakashi exchanged looks.

"Naruto, what do you mean when you say that?" Sasuke asked, his onigiri forgotten on the polished table. Naruto flipped his head back around and sat with his back against Kakashi's chest. He frowned, his small tan hands balled into fists on his knees, gripping shirt fabric.

"You're angry." he said flatly, almost fearfully.

"Angry? I'm not angry." Sasuke reassured. Naruto shook his head.

"Thats what they say. 'I'm not angry, I'm not angry'. But then they do angry things." he said, his large blue eyes narrowed at his lap. Sasuke looked to Kakashi and Itachi at a loss.

"Naruto-kun, who's 'they'?" Itachi asked. Naruto shifted uncomfortabley.

"I don't know. They're just... 'Master'." he replied. Sasuke furrowed his brows.

So, this 'Master' was subject to change who exactly it was. The 'master' Naruto had mentioned was not just one person, but maybe a term he used for adults. Although, he had said Shizune was _not_ his 'master'. So, it was... adult males, perhaps?

_How could he come to get such a demented view...?_

"Naruto, where do you live?" Kakashi suddenly asked. Naruto blinked and looked up at the man.

"Arakawa." he responded simply. Sasuke shook his head.

"No Naruto, this is the Chiyoda district, not Arakawa. I found you a few blocks away, so you'd live in Chiyoda. Is the building where you live called Arakawa?" he asked. Naruto, bless him, gave Sasuke a dry look.

" I'm twelve, not dumb. I know where I live. Arakawa district, Tokyo Japan." he replied, sticking his little pink tounge out.

"Why, and I suppose 'how', did you end up in Chiyoda then?" Kakashi asked.

"They're neighbouring wards, seperated only by Taito district, so its not that unlikely that he got here on his own." Itachi supplied. Naruto took another takuan.

"I didn't come here on my own. Master delivered me to Master's house, but after a while...I- I couldn't take it, and ran away." he said with a tiny, sad sounding voice. Sasuke felt sick at the implications.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Naruto, why do you call these people 'Master'? Who's been taking care of you and making you talk like that?!" he demanded, making the blonde wince when Sasuke's large pale hand slammed down on the table.

"Sauke, calm down. Naruto has time, he can tell you later. Right now he should lie down and rest some of his more seriouse injuries away. Kakashi, we should go." Itachi stated calmly standing up. Kakashi nodded and lifted Naruto out of his lap with stong arms. He stood up, bending a bit to ruffle Naruto's golden spikes, while Sasuke sulked.

Naruto had followed Kakashi and Itachi to the foyer, limping slightly, but followed them none the less. Sasuke heared shouted farewells and the like, even twitching when he distincly heard Kakashi tell Naruto that he would expect Naruto to stay as cute as he was now the next time he checked in. Sasuke began clearing the table of the food that would returne to spend it's life back in the fridge untill its experation date decided otherwise.

The sashimi would have to go. Hm.

Glancing up, Sasuke saw Naruto peeking from behind the fusuma at the other side of the dining room, the sunlight from the mansion's inner garden illuminateing him and exentuating his angelic-like appearance. The little blond looked... sad. Scared. Worried.

Why?

"Naruto? Whats wro-"

"I'll do it!!" the boy interrupted, rushing foreward patheticaly with his limp, wincing while he attempted to hurry, his injuries protesting against him. He began gathering up plates and cups, filling his arms up as carefully as he could, Sasuke whatching in shock.

"Oi, stop that." the Uchiha said, halting Naruto's progress and taking the breakfast-wear away, leaving the blonde empty handed with a somewhat lost expression.

"Demo..." the younger boy murmered, rapidly looking around, his eyes confused and frightened. Sasuke frowed and went to the kitchen, putting the dishes in the sink, and the leftovers back in his refrigorator. Naruto was at his heels, staring up with an almost begging expression. Sasuke, having no experiance with kids, was a bit lost himself.

"Ah... what is it?" he ventured, thinking maybe the boy was still hungry. Naruto had that lost look again.

"What would you like me to do now, Master?" he asked. Sasuke gaped.

'Master' again?!

" I'm not your master, alright? You call me Sasuke, okay? Just Sasuke." the raven haired man said, walking into the vast yet heavily frunitured living room, Naruto one step behind him with a pout working as a frown.

"Master should be called Master. Its a rule." he said, trying to crawl up next to Sasuke on he couch, biting his lip against the pain from putting pressure on his inflictions. Sasuke grimanced and helped the boy up, but immediately turned his attention away and turned on the TV.

He truely, truely hated telivision.

"Naruto."

"Hai, Master?"

Sasuke sighed exasperatingly.

"Lets go out or something, okay?"

For a moment after Sasuke's sugestion, Naruto had bit him lower lip, looking a bit fearfull, before nodding and pulling on a smile.

* * *

Sasuke smiled at the little blonde boy who ran the sidewalks above the river, dressed in a very old, but new-looking, kimono that Sasuke had unearthed from storage in on of the guest rooms. The fabric was yellow and the obi a light blue. It was no wonder Sasuke had found it as untouched as he had. It had been given to him when he was a child and the colors had been so bright, he had refused to wear it, favoring dark hues as much as he did. But on Naruto, it was truly a thing of beauty. 

He wanted to ask the kid more questions; who he lived with, what his reasons for being in Chiyoda were, deffinately why he seemed to take a stuborne liking to adressing Sasuke as 'Master' while no one else was around. But, as much as he truly yearned for answers, he knew that at the moment, Naruto was has such a look of relief on his scarred face, he couldn't bring himself to mention the things that made that frightened, nervouse, and pitiful look come back into his shiny blue eyes.

The weather that had changed so freakishly the day earlier was no back to the usual July forecast, as though daring anyone to even think it possible that it had rained down from the heavens only 24 hours previouse. It was nice, the clear blue sky, the cool breeze making his and Naruto's stroll not unpleasent.

It was odd, how unlike himself Sasuke was acting. It wasn't unusual that he would take occasional walks around the nieghbourhood, but it was out of the ordinary that he smiled as much and felt a feeling dance along in his stomach that wasn't related to unhappiness.

It felt... unsettling.

"Master! Master!"

"Naruto, don't just call that out so loudly, people will assume things." Sasuke said witha sigh, looking down at the excited blond. Nauto had on a quizzical face, his head tilted to the side, pointing at a crepe vendor's van that was parked a few yards away.

"Whats that?" Naruto asked, looking up to Sasuke with huge blue eyes. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"A crepe vendor. Why, did you want one?" he replied, walking toward the van with Naruto at his heels.

"I dunno, Master. Whats a 'crape'?" the whisker marked boy asked. Sasuke wasn't suprised.

"A crepe, Naruto. Its like... its like a thin sweet cake wrapped around in a cone shape with sweet stuff in the middle." He answered. Naruto's eyes grew ever wider.

"Does Master like them?"

Sasuke shrugged.

"They're a bit too sweet for me, but I can tolerate one every now and then. What flavor do you like?" he asked, stepping in front of the window. A middle aged man smiled at them, ready to begin at the signal. Naruto quirked an eyebrow.

"Anou..." he looked worried, as though he expected Sasuke to be angry with his lack of response. Sasuke scratched at his collarbone.

"I'll tell you what, since you're so girly, I'll get you a strawberry. I have a feeling you'd apreciate the pink color." he reasoned, looking to the man at the small round hot-pans with a nod. Naruto bristled, his lips jutting out in a infuriated pout.

_Cute._

"Master! Please don't call me a girl! I'm a boy, a boy!" the blond stamped his foot as Sasuke smirked. The man at the stove chuckled at the twelve year old's antics.

"He's cute, that kid. You his sensei or something? Him calling you Master like that."

Sasuke turned a bit red, coughing into his hand while the man handed him the sweet and he paid.

"Ah... not really. Its an... inside joke..." the Uchiha mumbled while walking off, passing the crepe to the awaiting hands of Naruto. Said boy just stared at the pastry. He frowned a bit and stoped following at Sasuke's heels.

"Naruto. What is it? Do you not like it?"

Naruto shook his head, staring at the untouched food.

"Master... bought this for me..." he said. Sasuke stepped foreward.

"Cut it out with that 'master' crap. It was barely anything. Just eat it and shut up." he ordered. Naruto hesitantly nodded and started in, smiling at the creamy fruit taste. His eyes closed and crinkled happily as he shoveled the snack down, Sasuke whatching the water in the river resovior flowing by, sparkeling bright blue in the sun. It was not unlike Naruto's eyes.

Sasuke felt Naruto lagging behind after a while of walking, and he inwardly berated himself for forgetting that the boy was injured (and it was his fualt after all), and so he stopped and bent down, lifting the light load of tan flesh and kimono into his arms. Naruto squealed in surprise, eyes wide.

"M-master!"

Sasuke scowled.

"Stop that. Its Sasuke alright? Just Sasuke."

Naruto giggled and shook his head, making Sasuke ready to start in on him, but the blnd suddenly tensed, looking at something or someone a good distance away. Sasuke blinked at the shudder that went through the small body, and he turned his gaze to where Naruto was looking.

It _was_ a person. Probably a man, talking with a young woman and showing her something, a peice of paper. Sasuke unconciousely felt his grip tighten on Naruto, not really noticing he was doing so.

"Naruto... lets go home, okay?" he said, slowly taking his eyes off the man who was even still, pretty far away. He didn't know this man, nor was he entirely certian this was the reason for Naruto's sudden stiff and terrified posture. But still, he felt a need bubbling up inside him to get Naruto back behind his house's security enforced walls.

_Why? Hes not my problem. Hes only around me because I feel guilty about grazing him with that stupid car. Its not my job to care about what happens to him. Hell it was his fualt for running out in the middle of the street! Hes 12 years old he should know better!_

_...Still..._

"...Home, Master?" Naruto asked just above a whisper. Sasuke began walking to the main road, hailing a taxi, and climbing in. He didn't respond to Naruto, and instead gave the driver his adress. Next to him, Naruto was pushing himself closer to Sasuke's side as they drove nearer and nearer the man. Sasuke stared, onyx eyes narrowed.

Just as the woman shook her head and walked away, the man turned faceing the taxi. For a moment, just a split second, both Sasuke and the man made eye contact.

Naruto shivered violently as though he had been dipped in ice water, Sasuke could feel it throughout his body.

That man... His features were plain, pale skin and black eyes guarded by round framed glasses. His hair was pulled back in a pony tail, unnatrualy silver grey for his age that was probably not much older then Sasuke himself.

He had smirked at Sasuke as they drove past, his eyes following the car even when the increased in distance.

Sasuke stared straight ahead, his posture composed, his face expressionless. Naruto, who was stiff with something akin to fear and nervousness, was slowly realaxing, taking momentary glances up at the stoic business man.

"Naruto. Who was that." Sasuke didn't know if he meant it to come out as a demand or not. Naruto slowly pulled his knees to his chest, sleeve hidden arms wrapping around them securely. His blue eyes became clouded and half-lidded, as though he was sedated.

"...That was... a Master. His name is Kabuto-sama. Hes... looking for me." he replied in that same tiny voice. Sasuke felt his body heat rise with anger, but not entirely from what Naruto had said directly.

He was angry at himself, for caring about something that didn't concern him. Naruto was not his reletive, nor was he in any way romanticaly involved with him. He was just a boy that he was housing due to guilt from giving him accidental injuries. Naruto and how he lived had nothing to do with him. The boy was twelve, he could take care of himself. Hell, Sasuke himself had been forced to grow up at ten years old when his parents died. If he could do it at ten, Naruto could do the same with a two year advantage. The blonde may have looked like he was younger, but the fact of the matter was, he wasn't a child.

And, as much as Sasuke could feel the tightening in the pit of his stomach which dissagreed with him, Naruto wasn't his problem.

"Well then, I suppose he'll be the one I contact to take you home when you get better." Sasuke said, turning to stare out the window. He didn't want to see Naruto's terrified look of shock even out of the corner of his eyes.

Sasuke ignored the burning in his chest. Because, after all, he was an Uchiha.

He was not Naruto's Master. Naruto had nothing to do with him.

Nothing.

_...still..._

* * *

**Sorry about the crepe thing, I just whatched that episode to Fruits Basket again where Tohru buys Hiro and Kisa crepes and I imagined Sasuke buying Naruto a little strawberry flavored one and thought it was really cute.**

**Ah, what a long chapter. I mean... I think its long.**

**Argh, I really have to update my other one, I've been stalling.**

**Well, thank you all so damn much for reveiwing. I don't know what I've done to deserve such kind people! Thank you so much! Thank you!**

**Untill next time,**

**-Rae-chan**


	4. Chapter 4

**Woooooooah!! Sasuke's a right ol' bastard.**

**Most of you seem to think so, hahahah! Oh the things you all said! Hell it made me nervous.**

**So heres the question... Will he or wont he? What will Sasuke do?**

**Read and Find out!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. The only blondes I own are Kurokiri, Toshiko, and Eiko. They are mine. MINE. **

**Songs that inspired this (the ones I was listening to anyway) : **

**Excess by Tricky**

**Pride by High and Mighty Color**

**Aquarius by Within Temptaion**

* * *

_Ame ni Shichigatsu - Rain in July_

* * *

Sasuke knew he was a bastard. 

A big one.

A really, really big one.

That being said, he took further measures. Naruto, who was looking incredibly nervouse and petrified, was watching him rearrage boxes and clear a bedroom across the hall from Sasukes that the Uchiha decided the blond could stay in untill he got better. Untill... he would have to contact whoever watched over the boy could come pick him up and take him to his rightfull home.

"Alright, this should be good enough. You should get some rest Naruto, or you'll never get better." Sasuke said, dusting his hands off, his back to the door where Naruto clutched the frame, his eyes downcast.

"Hai." was the small reply. Sasuke nodded to himself, glancing around the room, before turning to Naruto and guiding his towards the futon. Something flashed in light blue orbs that went unnoticed by Sasuke as he helped Naruto into the sheets.

"I know its only 9:00, but you should sleep more. If you need anything, I'll be across the hall."

With that, Sasuke stood up and walked out of the room, flicking the light off and casting everything into darkness. He heard a very soft whimper, and, thinking back to when he was a kid, Sasuke left the door opena crack, letting the light from the hall leave a bit of comfort for the boy. Sasuke thought fondly of his mother who would do the same during that period of time he was afraid of demons lurking in the space beneath his bed.

Closing the door to his own room, Sasuke shook his head. Naruto would have to get used to the dark, the boy couldn't afford any compassion if he was learn to grow up quicker. It wasn't his place to teach the boy not to be afraid of the dark.

The dark couldn't hurt you.

* * *

Naruto shivered on the futon where he sat with his arms wrapped around his knees. The sliver of light coming in from the hallway light was littel comfort against the fear that remained in his stomach. 

Would the man who's house he was currently staying at, really make him go back?

Naruto sighed, pulling his knees closer to himself. He knew that being at this house was different from being at the others that he often went to. This man, who insisted on being called by his first name 'Sasuke' despite the fact that Naruto had always been told to adress his hosts as 'Master' no matter what, that man Sasuke was different. And Naruto liked this kind of different.

True, Sasuke had hit him with his car, but it had been Naruto's fault for running in such a flurry when the freak storm hit that he didn't look to see if anyone was coming. But, he _had_ to run. He had to leave. Leave that house. Leave that awful Master

He had been trained, for two years since the day he turned 10, that under no circumstances, no matter what, he must never try to leave ('escape' was a more fitting word) from whatever 'host' had paid his Master for his 'services'. Naruto hated all of his Masters, but Master Kabuto was his least...'favorite', for lack of a better word. He really had no favorites. Well, except for Sasuke maybe. Sasuke hadn't hurt him. Yet.

Naruto shook his head, his spiky blond hair tossling messily. Naruto could see, Sasuke wasn't the type of person who would perpousely hurt someone. He had, after all, taken Naruto to the hospital and fed him good things with Hatake-san and Ita-nii.

But... Sasuke wanted him to go away. He didn't belong with Sasuke. Sasuke didn't want him around. Sasuke was going to tell Kbuto-sama where he was. Of all people, of all his Masters, he was going to call Kabuto-sama.

Naruto shook violently, and flung the covers off of his body, running to the door and out of his room, wincing from the pain in his ankle and the sore parts of his body that told him to stay put. He ran right across the hall, slowing down to gently and quietly open the door to the bedroom across from his. A small sliver of light lit a path to the bed across the dark room as Naruto entered, bitting his lip before closing the door, the dark enveloping him. Hastily he scampered to the bed, pulling himself up with great effort while not making a big commotion.

Moolight streamed through the window, illuminating Sasuke's pale skin, making it stand out against his dark hair and sheets. Naruto gulped, knowing that what he was doing was a very punishable offence. Sneaking into a Masters bed without permission was highly unacceptable. Ans what happened as punishment was...

Naruto shuddered, withdrawing a bit from the warmth that Sasuke was giving off. He studied the older man's face.

This Sasuke... He wasn't like any of his other Masters. He was so handsome! He looked so peaceful, lips parted while he took deep even breaths as he slept. Naruto smiled sadly.

To think he would be leaving such a person. This beautiful man who had bought him something called a crepe from the street vendor even though Naruto hadn't provided him any 'service'. Naruto felt his smile slowly slip off, his eyes becoming foggy while the pressure in his small chest built at the knowlage that he would be going back once he healed . For the first time, he cursed his abnormaly fast rate of healing.

Naruto stretched out his small hand towards Sasuke's face, gently brushing the bangs out of the older man's eyes. Naruto's soft smile was back, and lowered himself next to the larger body, closing his deep blue eyes.

Reperation, punishment,... he could take any of it. If it meant just this one experiance of being next to a person like Uchiha Sasuke-san, he could take anything his Masters would decide later to dish out.

Naruto... really liked a person like Sasuke-san! Sasuke-san... clearly wasn't a Master. Masters were mean. They made him hurt very badly. But, Sasuke-san... if anyone could be Naruto's master, he wished Sasuke-san could. Naruto smiled. Oh how he would _spoil _Sasuke-san if given the chance to serve under him!

Thinking of this, Naruto let himself slip into a deep sleep, the idea of having Sasuke be his one and only Master, forever, making the monsters that lurked in the dark not matter so much.

* * *

Sasuke stared in shock at the boy who was wrapped around his waist, fast asleep. 

In _his _bed.

Gently prying the thin tan arms away from his body, Sasuke layed Naruto properly on the other side of the bed, pulling back up the covers and fixing the overly large night shirt that the blond had borrowed again. He was a bit confused as to why the boy had wound up next to him, but ignored it for the time being. He had work at 7:00, and it was 6:15 at the moment.

After taking a quick shower Sasuke dressed in a clean japanese style suit, remembering to take the one he had been out in that rain in to the dry cleaners. Adjusting his dark red tie around his neck, he wrote a quick note of instructions to Naruto, leaving it in plain view for when the boy woke up. He stared, momentarily, at the angelic like visage the boy gave off.

He frowned.

Naruto's injuries, bruises and the like, were healing remarkably well. Although it was not an unrealistic improvement, it was still quite impressive. This of course only remined Sasuke all the more that soon the boy would be fully healed, and even in a shorter amount of time then was orrigonaly estimated.

Naruto... would be out of his life shortly. As it was before, and as it should be. He would have to search today for the man the little blond had named fully after strict memory prodding that seemed to upset Naruto, but got results non the less.

Yakushi Kabuto.

Sasuke left the room, the house, and then the property.

He felt pressure which he could properly identify as something akin to guilt build up in his stomach as he drove to the Uchiha company head offices. He alowed the early morning radio news to drown out the feeling that he really didn't care much for.

-------

Sasuke stared at the numbers in front of him. A small post-it note with neat swirled handwritting in ball-point pen ink, blue, with seven little numbers.

It annoyed the Uchiha that something as simple as a telephone number was cuasing him so much irritation. Maybe it was due to the fact that it was the phone number of Yakushi Kabuto, and he had had taken it apon himself to look the number up with the intention of announcing Naruto's whereabouts.

He didn't have a good feeling about any of it as his fingers resolutely punched the dial pad of his office phone. They hesitated at the last digit.

As Sasuke brought the reciever to his ear, it had already begun ringing. Long digital drags that made Sasuke's resolution lower with each tone. And then...

"_Moshi moshi_?"

Sasuke unstuck his lips which he found had been set in a thin line and cleared his throat.

"Ah, Yakushi Kabuto-san?"

Sasuke found part of himself wishing he had the wrong number.

"_Thats me. May I ask who this is and what this is in regards to?"_

Sasuke was perturbed at the business-like tone he was being treated with. Hell, he was a president of a company and rarely he used that manner of speach. Sasuke took a short, deep breath.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke and-"

"_Surely you're kidding? The Uchiha Sasuke?"_

Sasuke felt a familiar twinge of annoyance. Figures this person would recognise his name. The Uchiha family and the business enterprise they owned was mildly famouse even amungst the poorer community (thanks to his late mother's charitable donations to variouse causes).

"I assure you I am who I say I am, Yakushi-san."

_"Oh no, please call me by my first name__! What can I help you with Uchiha-san?"_

Sasuke felt a little bit less uneasy then he had moments ago. This Kabuto person seemed kind enough, polite and without any underlying tone of malice. He seemed like... a... _good_ person.

"I'm calling in ragards to a boy. Uzumaki Naruto. Blue eyes, blond hair. Three scars on each cheek."

There was a pause, and Sasuke felt the uneasiness that was previousely lowered, flicker. Then, there was a gasp-like laugh that spoke vaguely of relief.

_"You found him? You found Naruto-kun?!"_

There was such a tone of relief in Kabuto's exclamation, that all the feelings of unease and worry more or less left Sasuke. Kabuto sounded so parent-like, maternal even.

"Well, we sort of found each other. There was an accident, which was mostly my own fualt, resulting in Naruto sustaining a few injuries and a hospital visit."

_"Injuries? Was it seriouse? Is he still in the hospital? Was he disfigured in anyway?!"_

Sasuke felt his tension leaving in great waves. But there was still the fact that Naruto had been so terrified...

"No, it was nothing seriouse. He's healing quiet evenly. He's currently staying at my home while he gets better."

_"Ah, thank goodness! I apologize for the trouble you've gone to Uchiha-san. I'll pick him up straight away, if you'd be so kind as to tell me where I might be able to do so?"_

Sasuke opened his mouth to respon, but stilled.

_'...Thats Kabuto-sama... a Master...'_

Sasuke recalled everything Naruto had said, how he acted, the injuries he had sustained before Sasuke had ran into him, and his timid, nervouse nature.

"Before I tell you where I live, I have a few questions you-"

"_Does this have anything to do with Naruto-kun's 'Master' talk?"_

Sasuke's eyes widend and his grip on the phone tightend.

"Care to explain that?"

Sasuke was a bit angry now, hearing Kabuto talk about something as unsetteling as how Naruto acted as though it were nothing. Sasuke narrowed his eyes in a glare, even though the man on the phone was just that, on the phone, and couldnt see him.

_"Well, Naruto-kun is an orphan, and had lived in a foster home for most of his life. I just recently adopted him, and hes never really taken to me. This is the third time since he's come to live with me that hes run away, for no reason. Whats more, he's got a hell of an imagination, and knows how to get other people in trouble. So whenever we go out in public, he'll try and make me out to be some pervert by acting like a slave or something, and because hes such a cute little kid, its a bit hard repriming him in public. Its gotten me a lot of questionable stares and the like."_

Sasuke felt a slurry of emotions and questions race through his mind. Had Naruto just been putting on an act? No... no he had injuries!

"What about all the wounds and injuries he had?"

_"That bit also adds to my trouble. No matter what I do to try to stop it, Naruto-kun often gets picked on by other boys due to his frail appearance. Unfortunately, he can't defend himself at all, and hes often getting injuries. I offer to help, but, obviousely, he doesn't trust me very much. I'm very sorry Uchiha-san, but I've been extreamely worried over Naruto-kun, so please tell me where I can find him."_

Sasuke gripped the phone in one hand and with the other, he gripped his forehead. If what Kabuto said was true, and he couldn't just say it wasn't, then he had no right to keep Naruto away from him.

"My home is at 823 Okeru street. Tomorow evening is fine."

As soon as he said it, Sasuke hung up the phone, using his newely freed hand to clutch at his head with the other.

That was it.

He had done what he was supposed to.

Alerted Naruto's worried guardian as to where his runaway son was.

Naruto... would be gone tomorow evening.

* * *

In a small office on the edge of the Chiyoda district, a man in round framed glasses dialed quickly and well practiced numbers into a thin black cell phone, holding the reciever to his ear as he spun slowly in his revolving leather chair. His lips were turned up in a pleased little smirk. 

"Orochimaru-sama. Kabuto. Theres no need for you to pay late fees. I've located the boy. You can alert the manager of the Akatsuki. Thier prise possesion will be delivered by tomorow night."

There was a small click as the cell phone was shut. The man with silver hair and round framed glasses streatched with an air of relief, the smirk ever present.

* * *

**I feel... like some of you might have gone 'Noooo!!! You dumbshit Sasuke!"**

**But don't worry... well... maybe you should? Who knows what I'll do??**

**Thank you everyone who supports this story! You're all so nice! I'm very happy that there are such kind people in the world! It makes me confident that one of you might save me from a runaway bus one day.**

**And now, on a final note...**

**RALLY SUPPORT FOR THE CANCELATION OF ENGLISH DUBBING IN NARUTO! THE HELL MUST END!!**

**thanks mina!**

**-Rae-chan**


	5. Chapter 5

**-Crying-**

**Over 30!!**

**Th-thats the most reviews I've ever gotten for just one chapter! You couldnt even imagine my surprise when I logged onto my Yahoo account and saw a solid page of bold letters telling me of my many reviews!! I danced, I swear! My dad thought I was crazy. But he didn't understand how happy I was! **

**So its pretty much decided by the lot of you that Sasuke is an Asshole, but he has potential for redeiming himself. I dont think this chapter is gonna help his image. Or, maybe it might, depending on which part you focus on.**

**Sorry Sasuke, but this is payback for doing what you did to Naruto. I still have not forgiven you, but time and a little bit of image ruining may help me get over it. heheheheh...  
**

**Warnings: Yaoi, Child abuse, Pedoness, and other unsavory occurances that your parents shouldn't know you read about.**

**disclaimer: i dont own diddily crap. Except for Ice Nexus and Helix Down. **

* * *

_Ame ni Shichigatsu - Rain in July_

* * *

Sasuke tossed his keys onto the table by the door in the foyer as he shuffled out of his shoes. The house was perfectly silent, the lights off. Sasuke frowned. He had left Naruto the note that said he could do whatever he wanted around the house as long as it wasn't using the oven or anything dangerouse. But Naruto wasn't in the living room, or anywhere downstairs. 

Sasuke felt panicked despite his resolve to not invest too much interest in the boy.

"Naruto?" He called, walking up the stairs. Having a lost or dead blond boy on his hands was the last thing he would like to present Kabuto with tomorow evening.

_'That would be just perfect. 'Yeah, about your kid... see, I kinda... re-lost him. My bad.'_

The idea of acctualy saying that was a little too tempting, and the Uchiha shook the desire off.

Quickening his pace a little, Sasuke went to the spare bedroom he had set up for Naruto, but found it empty. He hoped the boy hadn't gotten lost somewhere on the other floors of the mansion. So, with mental fingers crossed, Sasuke opened the door to his own bedroom.

Naruto was kneeling on the bed, tottering back and forth in an effort to stay awake. His big blue eyes were binking back and forth between half-lidded and closed completely. Sasuke took a step into the room, making Naruto's head twitch up and turn in the Uchiha's direction.

Sasuke felt a pang in his chest when Naruto gave him a tired looking smile, seeming somewhat releived.

"Sasuke-san...welcome home...!" he said sweetly. Sasuke just stared, noticing the note he left for Naruto was now clutched weakly in the blond's small tan hands. Sasuke walked over and sat down on the bed next to him, picking the note up.

"Naruto, you read this right? You didn't stay in here since you woke up?" he inquired. Naruto gave a vervouse little laugh, scratching his whiskered cheek.

"Anou... I... I can't really read very well... I... I got stuck on most of those words, but I recognised my name! I did! Right there, right, right?!" Naruto pointed excitedly at the place on the paper where Sasuke had written the boy's name. Sasuke hid his open mouthed gape behind furrowed eyebrows and a calculating stare. Naruto smiled cutely, as though he was a genius for recognizing his own written name. Sasuke glanced back down at the letter.

_'He... doesn't know who to read, at 12 years old? Thats way too old. But, surely Kabuto has him enrolled in school or at least would have taught him himself.'_

"Sasuke-san? Would you like me to run you a bath?" Naruto pipped up, leaning into Sasuke's line of vision with a happy smile. Sasuke blinked and shifted uncomfortably.

"No Naruto, its alright, you don't have to do something like that." the Uchiha replied, standing up and stripping off his suit jacket. Naruto sat on his knees, hands together and in his lap as though he were kneeling before someone of royalty. Sasuke turned his back against the blond and walked towards the bathroom, thinking of a shower. Then he rememeberd Naruto himself hadn't had a wash since the Hospital.

"Naruto, you go on ahead and take a shower first. Towels are in the bottom cabinet." Naruto tilted his head to the side, his big confused eyes following to the direction Sasuke gestured.

"Hai!" Naruto chirped, lowering himself to the floor with great care, so as not to irritate his ankle. When the bathroom door slid shut, Sasuke noticed the pile of bandages on the floor. He gathered them up and tossed them in the small trash bin against the wall. Aparently Naruto had decided himself healed enough that bindings were no longer nessicary.

Sasuke stared at his floor, the fading orange sun beams filtering through the room as the day came to a close. While the sky looked so bueatiful, Sasuke felt more inclinded to surround himself in a darker climate.

Naruto was no longer a cute lost little kitten he was taking care of. Naruto had an adopted father. He was a runaway, not a destitute. He no longer needed Sasuke's charity, he needed Sasuke as a hiding place to make sure his rebellion keeps.

But still Sasuke could feel that something wasn't right. There was something he was perpousely over lookng just for the sake of keeping up the cold indifferance hes had up for so long. Something was seriousely wrong with what Kabuto told him. Something was wrong with the way Naruto acted. A child as young as Naruto was not mature enough to knowingly act so convincinlgy.

"God damnit!" Sasuke cursed violently, shaking his head, his black spikes tosseling.

"Ah!"

Sasuke whipped around and was throwing the bathroom door open before Naruto had finished letting out his muffled but clear gasp. Sasuke froze in the threshhold of the door.

Naruto was sitting in the basin of the tub, the shower on and blasting at Naruto who had his arms up , trying to move to the other end of the tub and away from the high pressured water. Steam fogged up the mirrors and there was soap and water everywhere, making Sasuke slip as though he was walking on ice. Naruto reached his arms out to the older man and Sasuke hastily scooped him up and out.

"Shit!" Sasuke growled at the scolding tempered water that sprayed onto him as he shut off the fuacet. Naruto was crying, clutching at Sasuke's broad shoulders, the hot water drenching Sasuke's front.

"I c-couldn't f-figure out the shiny knobs a-and then water started hitting on me really h-hard and then it got really hot!! Gomen nasai Sasuke-san! Gomen nasai!!"

Sasuke ignored Naruto's rant for favor of setting him down on the bed and drying him off hastily with a giant fluffy white towel. Sasuke felt completely stupid for thinking a kid as clueless as Naruto could be left on his own devices. And sure enough, here he was, his natrualy tan skin blotched red. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Gomen nasai!! Please don't punish me Sasuke-san! Don't tell Tono-sama, I promise I'll clean up all the water myself, you don't have to do anything! Onegai! Onegai!" Naruto was still crying, even though Sasuke had completely dried him off and was now pulling one of his own much larger shirts over the blond. Sasuke closed his eyes and clutched Naruto's shoulders tightly.

"Damnit Naruto! Stop that! I know you're not really like that so just cut it out! I talked to Yakushi-san and he told me all about you. You can't keep acting like this Naruto, its not funny."

As Sasuke was saying all this, his head was tilted down, bangs covering his eyes. He couldn't see Naruto's face as it went from guilt and fear, to terror and shock. Bright blue eyes clouded with more tears.

_'No one will believe you if you try and run away Naru-chan... Adults will always take the word of another adult over that of a child who seeks attention.'_

The room was filled with a very uncomfortable silence, making Sasuke stand and shy away towards the window, overlooking the back property of the mansion. Pale hands gripped the light toned sandelwood sill. Naruto sat on the bed, sniffeling and holding fistfulls of the white over shirt that bunched arouned him in billowing folds.

"When... is K-Kabuto-sama going to... take me back...?" Naruto asked, his voice just above a whisper. Sasuke didn't turn back to him, and continued to stare out at the sun that was fading rapidly over Tokyo.

"Tomorow. Sometime in the evening. I'll be staying home tomorow, to make sure you don't...try to run away again." Sasuke was disgusted with himself. He could hear his own voice, and it reminded him too much of the doctor who had told him and Itachi that thier parents were dead.

Naruto took a deep breath and nervousely glanced at the black haired man. He bit his bottom lip.

"Eto...Can... C-can I sleep in here tonight...? Please...? I hate when I have to sleep by myself. I get... I get cold." the blonde said. Sasuke sighed and pulled away from the window, guilt wieghing down his stomach like a bad meal. He entered the bathroom, removing his shirt on his way.

"Go to sleep, Naruto."

The door slid shut, leaving Naruto to sit in the crimson red and orange light from the sun that was just about to dissapear from over the horizon, leaving one of Tokyo's 23 wards in moon-lit darkness.

**

* * *

**

There was no conversation. No fun breakfast with Kakashi and Itachi. Sasuke woke Naruto up, gave him a bowel of cearal, and there was little exchange of words.

Naruto was scared. His hands shook if he didn't control them.

He would be back in Arakawa soon. Back at Akatsuki. That building where everything is so cold.

He was scared. So scared. And, sad. Really, really sad.

Sasuke chose to believe Kabuto, and that meant Naruto would be going back. But that wasn't the worst thing. Naruto had decided he was going to take the punishment he would surely get. But what made him truly sad, was that he would have to leave Sasuke. He didn't want to.

Sure, Sasuke had told Kabuto where he was, but the black haired man was still the nicest person Naruto had every met. He had been kind to Naruto, without asking anything in return. And really, the only reason he called Kabuto was because he wanted Naruto to be with the family he thought the blond had back home. Its not like he is disgusted by the mere sight of him, and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible. Sasuke seemed to want Naruto to be with his rightful family. Even though he didn't _really_ have one to begin with.

"Naruto, come here." Sasuke called from the porch that surrounded the inner garden of the house. Naruto had been playing in the pond, swirling at the koi fish with his bare toes. He was wearing the sunny yellow kimmono again, which he had to roll up a bit so it didnt get wet from the pond water.

"Hai!" He chirpped happier then he felt inside. He was a little happy, true, but it was turning into an uncomfortable churning in his stomach as the designated time came nearer.

Sasuke was in the living room area, writting something down on a small rectangle booklet of paper. Naruto wished he could read, he ironicaly didn't care for secrets. Sasuke was wearing a pair of thin reading glasses, and Naruto thought it made him look smart and slightly more handsome then he had been without them. The blond blushed, cluthing at the yellow cotton he was wrapped in.

"Naruto, did you remember the name of the hospital I took you to? I can't remember..." The black haired man inquired. Naruto shook his head, tossing blond spikes around carelessly. Sasuke flinched when he did so. Naruto withdrew some. He must not like blond hair. Funny, Masters usualy found that appealing.

"Im sorry, I cant remember, Sasuke-san." he whispered. Sasuke waved his hand dismissively.

"Oh, its alright, I think it was Karamoto Emergancy or something like that. You can go back to the garden again." he said, scribbeling down into his checkbook. Naruto ran back to the pond, having to carefully drop from the platform porch befor racing across the gras to the koi ladden pond. He dropped down, kneeling at the waters edge, laughing at the large fisht that nibbled at his thin fingers.

Naruto blinked in suprise when Sasuke dropped down to sit by his side, only a half a foot away, whatching the golden scales creatures glide and dance underneath the dark green glassy surface. His glasses were gone, half-tucked into the chest pocket of his button down white dress shirt. He was smiling, just a little, whatching the fish.

"I forgot they were in here. Itachi had this putin a while back, but I never really came out here. Its nice. The shade is just right." Naruto wasn't sure if Sasuke was talking to him or just musing for his own benifit. Either way he looked away from the fish, staring at the older man, his own pouted pink lips smiling gently.

Naruto's hand traveled up unconciousely to his own thin tan neck, over a certian thin, almost invisible scar.

_'I want to scream it...'_

"Naruto, you like playing in water?"

"I do."

"Have you ever been to Yokohama? The beach there?"

"No, never outside of Tokyo. Except! I went to Okinawa once. I don't like it there anymore..."

" Well. Okinawa isn't for everyone I guess. The air is nice here though, it smells good, don't you think?"

"I do! The shade is cool, I like it Sasuke-san."

"Me too."

Sasuke leaning back on his palms, with Naruto sitting next to him on his bottom, dipping his toes in after the fish, harrasing them happily. It was incredibly peaceful. Bright. Ideal.

Distantly, the doorbell rang.

It was over too quickly.

He was early.

* * *

"Naruto-kun! Thank you so much Uchiha-san, I've been so worried." 

Kabuto was standing in Sasuke's foyer, his silver hair tied back, round glasses pirched apon his nose. He was wearing a crisp white dress shirt, and ironed black slacks. Sasuke stared at the man, his face was blank, as he always trained it to be so. Kabuto was smiling so happily. Naruto was not.

The small boy was glancing repeaedly between Sasuke, the floor, and Kabuto's polished leather shoes. Kabuto sighed and gave an exasperated smile at the black haired man.

"See what I mean?" he said, holding out his hand for Naruto to grasp. The boy didn't move from his side by Sasuke. Kabuto frowned.

"Naruto-kun, you've caused Uchiha-san more then enough trouble. Come on." Kabuto stepped foreward and gently took Naruto's hand in his, tugging him down into the foyer to stand by his side. Sasuke felt his own pale hand twitch in reaction to reach out for the small tan hand that was trailing behind Naruto in the boy's effort not to trip from the tug.

"Its fine," Sasuke said, hoping to draw his own attention away from the slight movement "It was no trouble."

Kabuto smiled and ruffeled Naruto's golden spikes.

"Still, I promise it wont happen again. Not by Naruto-kun at least, hahaha, I can't promise that some other lost child might seek you out Uchiha-san." The silver haired man replied, laughing at his own little joke. Sasuke remained stoic. Naruto is now staring up at the onyx eyed man, his large blue eyes searching. Pleading.

"Well, thank you very much for taking him in safely Uchiha-san. Naruto-kun, say thank you." Kabuto said with a bow, nudging the boy. Naruto nodded, and bowed deeply.

"Arigato Sasuke-san... Arigato..." Sasuke felt a harder pang in his chest as the boy smiled so sadly.

"It was nothing, Naruto." he responded. Kabuto straightened up, smiling so carefree.

"Well, then this is good bye Uchiha-san. Saiyonara!" he said with a wave, gently pulling along Naruto, who had not looked away from Sasuke.

"Saiyonara Sasuke-san... arigato.." the blond said, giving a half hearted wave. Sasuke nodded his head after them, for some odd reason not able to say anything while his brain screamed furiousely at him to stop the two from leaving. Stop Kabuto from taking the blond that had somehow wormed his way under Sasuke's impenetrable skin. The front door closed, and Sasuke could hear the muffled noise of the pathway gravel crunch under retreating feet.

Sasuke's eyes shot open.

_'Vocal chords...!'_

He rushed foreward and threw open the door.

"Kabuto-san, one more thing!" Sasuke whatched as the man halted and turned around with a curiouse look, just about to open the door to a sleek black limo. Naruto's eyes lit up.

"Yes, Uchiha-san?" the specticaled man replied.

"When Naruto was in the hospital, the doctors found damage to his vocal chords. What happened?" He asked it in a manner of speak that pretty much told Kabuto he had no choice but to answer. Sasuke saw Kabuto stiffen on slightly for a split moment, before smiling in a regretful manner.

"Ah, that. You see, Naruto had to get his tonsils taken out a few years back. Unfortunetly, the couple who had him in foster care at the time had taken him to a very under qualified surgeon, and the operation was botched. Naruto-kun's vocal chords were only altered a small fraction. It was purely malpractice, nothing that seriouse really." he informed, adjusting his glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose. Sasuke felt himself nod, but his head was still screaming.

"How did it affect him. I didn't notice anything wrong with his voice."

Kabuto opened the car door for the small blond who was touching his throat and gave the boy a slight push in. Naruto stared at Sasuke as he liften himself onto the seat. Kabuto moved to go in after him, facing Sasuke with a smile that, although it could have been the Uchiha's imagination, was tinted with a smirk, and responded.

"Naruto-kun can't scream."

The car door closed. Kabuto waved cheerily out the window.

Sasuke watched them go.

In the end, he had let Naruto go back to what he knew now, was a far too dangerouse and disgusting life. He hadn't acted. He hadn't effectively stopped Kabuto. How could he?

'_Just, try not to do anything thoughtless, Otouto.'_

Sasuke closed his front door behind him, and fell onto his knees, wide eyes staring at the floor.

"Shit!"

* * *

**Uh-oh. You're gonna get it now Sasuke.**

**What uh... what'ja think?**

**-Rae-chan**


	6. Chapter 6

**I never in all my amature writing career would have thought I'd get so many reviews from just one chapter. And, never have I thought I could make a whole group of Sasuke supporters change thier mind and see Sasuke as a giant dousche.**

**But hopefully, it wont last for that long. The dousheness I mean.**

**You've been urging me to update so enthusiasticaly, that I'll skip my witty banter and just go right on in with the story. More gratitude at the end note.**

**WARNINGS: Some seriousely fucked up shit, terrible spelling, and yaoi!**

**Discliamer: After this chapter, I can kiss any chance of ownership goodbye. **

* * *

Naruto stared at the dark tinted window. Buildings rushed by. Parks. Housing complexes. A few small schools. There was a handful of people walking through the streets, enjoying the last bit of daylight before the sun made way for the night. The people were smiling, laughing. Happy families and couples. 

Naruto wished he was back beside Sasuke, harrasing the golden fish in the pond and talking about other nations of Japan that Naruto had not (and probably would never) visit.

"Naruto-kun, Orochimaru-sama and I were very unhappy when we found you had run away." Kabuto's smooth baritone suddenly interupted the silence that had filled the cab of the limousine. Naruto's small tan hands twisted around one another in his lap, blue eyes staring out the window, refusing to look at the older man. Kabuto gave a short sort of chuckle, adgusting his round glasses against the bridge of his nose.

"Talk now, talk later, it doesn't matter to me. You will eventualy have this sort of behavior corrected. You know that, don't you?"

Naruto clutched a handful of yellow kimono silk in his hands, his knuckles turning white. Kabuto chuckled again at Naruto's clear avoidance of any sort of comunication. Although it might seem to the silver haired man that Naruto was rebelling, the fact of the matter was that it was taking everything Naruto had to not begin crying, and opening his mouth to speak was putting all that effort in jeperody.

The car drove too quickly for Naruto's liking. They had left Chiyoda in a matter of minutes, and was now traveling through southwest Taito. Next stop was the last. A direct drive to the small, cement building in a cramped line of back-ally shops and dives. Back to the building and back to the clear plastic display box in the smoke filled room with jeering men who shouted out amounts of money every other week.

What Naruto had told Sasuke was true, he was twelve, but that didn't mean he was dumb. He knew full well what an Auction was.

The car slowed to a stop, pulling in alond side of a narrow allyway curving off into a mass of close-cropped buildings all huddled together with no spaces in between, almost connected at the wall. Naruto's pulse began to throb loudly in his ears. He had never seen this place, but knew of it from the discriptions he would occasionaly hear from people on the outside. Even so, the limousine stopping meant only one thing.

"Were here Naruto-kun." Kabuto said pleasently, pulling the whisker marked boy accross the seats and against his broader chest, waiting until the driver opened the door for them. Naruto could feel the soft thudding of Kabuto's calm heart against his back. Of course the man was calm, he was the type who took pleasure in the suffering of others. Naruto felt like vomiting.

The sun was still shining brightly when Kabuto pulled Naruto with him out of the sleek black car, but as soon as they began walking down the narrow ally of shops, the bright light dissapered behind overhanging roof shingels, lines and lines of water pipes that leaked in steady dripps, clothes-line that were draped with tattered garments from the tenents of the apartments above some of the dingy bars and Inns, and it even seemed as though some store owners hung tarps to purpousely keep out the rays of sun.

As Kabuto walked through on the narrow walkway, holding tightly to Naruto's trembling hand as he limped along behind. As dark and skeeved this place was, the grooming was surprisingly well kept. It wasn't that big of a shock to the small blonde boy. He knew quite well that most of the shops packed in here sold and traded black market goods, and many of the potential buyers were rich and higher class citizens. And High-class people would not have stepped a polished shoe in a place where filth and decay lingered. Their pride wouldn't allow it. So the ally was kept moderately in living conditions.

"Naruto-kun, don't lag behind now. You have people anxious to see you again you know." Kabuto drawled, giving Naruto's hand a chastizing tug. Naruto tripped, trying to balance weight off his sore ankle, and fell onto the cracked cement walkway. His knees burned, and with terrible sadness, Naruto reliezed that he had skinned his knees, and blood was already staining the soft yellow silk.

"Oh now Naruto-kun. You've gone and ruined that pretty kimono that Sasuke-kun was so nice to give you. How ungrateful of you to do such a thing." Naruto was on his hands and knees, Kabuto's words burning him as the man stood beside him, still holding his hand.

_Sasuke-san..._

Shakily, Naruto stood back up on his feet, allowing Kabuto to pull him along. He wouldn't cry. He wouldn't cry and show Kabuto that he had said something that made him want to weep from loss. He would save up his tears, holding them down deep, deep inside, even though it made him hurt, he would keep his tears locked up with the screams he was unable to release.

"Ah, here we are. Home sweet home. My, this was easier then I had thought. It's really just like returning a overdue lirbary book." Kabuto said, sneering down at the little blonde who was staring wide eyed at the hirigana 'Akatsuki' in dark red paint, decrotively drawn amungst tumbeling clouds.

Naruto shook.

"...No...!"

* * *

Sasuke walked into his kitchen, pulled a glass from the cabinet, and filled it with water. He brought the edge to his lips, and he took a casual sip. 

Water sprayed across hardwood flooring, dripping down the wall where Sasuke had hurled the glass, fragments scattering in all directions.

The Uchiha opened his cabinet once again, grabbing crystal champagne flutes, wine glasses, drinking cups, each one shattering to the floor, slivered edges sticking up at dagerouse angels. Sasuke threw open his other cabinets, tossing out plates, soup and rice bowels, and serving dishes before moving on to violently scatter the utensils and chopsticks by taking out the entire drawer they were kept in and smashing it.

"What the fuck is wrong with me?!" the distraught man shouted, taking a momentary break from destroying everything in sight. Sasuke breathed in deep pants, one hand bracing himself to the counter-top, the other clutching his head.

To say he felt 'guilty' was the understatement of a century. He had just let them go. Let Kabuto take Naruto to a life that the little blond angel didn't deserve. No one desereved. For fucks sake, he might as well have tortured the boy himself. Before he had met the boy, everything that had happened to him hadn't had anything to do with Sasuke, and had both not been his fault and none of his concern. But now, he had seen the evidence of terrible life, and had just sent the child on his way back. Now, everything that happens to Naruto -Sasuke didn't want to even think of what could be done to the small blonde boy- was solely Sasuke's fault.

"FUCK!"

A few more drawers were destroyed, wooden frames splintering and tossing themselves across the floor covered in glass and silverware. Sasuke's panted and huffed in the only bit of clear floor left.

There was a far off sound of car tires crunching over gravel, and the tell-tale 'thuds' of car doors slamming. Sasuke's head shot up, obsidian eyes filling up with sheer hope that maybe... Kabuto had come to give Naruto back.

'_Give him back...'? Since when was he stolen? I'm the one who gave him back...'_

Even still, knowing that it was unlikely, that he was being foolish, Sasuke raced through his kitchen, embedding glass and splinters of wood into the souls of his feet. The door seemed too far away, and as he reached the foyer the pain caught up with him, causing him to fall to his knees, staring up at his front door slid open.

Itachi stepped in, blinking down at him, elegant eyebrow raised in curiosity at his little brother's less-then-together appearance.

"Oi, Itachi, you're creating traffic in the doorway! Hurry up and get your shoes off, I wanna see Naru-chan!" Kakashi stepped in behind the Elder Uchiha Brother, a silver digital camera dangeling from his wrist. He too, froze mid-step and stared down at the twenty-four year old. Bloody footprints dissapeared down the hall behind Sasuke, who was staring up with a disparing look in his eyes.

"Sasuke? What on earth have you done to yourself? Where's Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked, stepping out of his shoes and up to his brother's side, bending down to a squat. Sasuke averted his eyes, staring at the floor.

"...go..." Sasuke mumbled so quietly that neither Kakashi (who was taking a aiming the camera pointlessly, calling out Naruto's name in a sing-song tone), nor Itachi heard him.

"Again, Otouto, louder." The elder raven said, loosing intrest in Sasuke's silence, instead staring at the trail of blood that was seeping out from deep slices in the younger man's feet. Sasuke cringed, his fingernails scratching the hardwood.

"...I let him go... He told me the name of... this guy who was looking for him... and I called him up... and he took Naruto away..."

Both Kakashi and Itachi's head snapped around.

"You did what?" Kakashi breathed. He wasn't blind. He saw the same sorts of injuries Itachi did along Naruto's small body. The bite marks, finger-print bruises, the scars...

"I called him... I called him and I tried so hard to not care... He showed up.. Naruto was so scared.. he can't even scream, you know that?... And... and that bastard... he took him back...! I'm an Uchiha...! I'm not supposed to care about the suffering of others!!" Sasuke rambled in a imploring sort of way. Kakashi's hands hung at his sides, the camera forgotten, dangeling from it's tie around the man's wrist. Itachi's eyes narrowed.

"You sent him back...Sasuke?" he asked in slow, measured words, as though he were talking to a toddler.Black spikes swayed as Sasuke gave a hesitant nod.

Blood trickled from Sasuke's lip, split from the impact of Itachi's fist.

* * *

There was a distinct '_click_' of a door latch closing, and Naruto stared at a dark cement floor. He came to this room often. The 'office' of his main Master. The Master that found him, took 'care' of him for most of his life, and then threw him into the business of auction company at the age of ten. Naruto was this man's favorite of all the other auctioned youths. Naruto was never sure if it was becuase of his exotic blond hair and blue eyes, or if it was because he was the youngest of all those who resided under the roof of the Akatsuki. The pale man moved out from behind a small desk, setting down a manila folder, training hard, cold black eyes on the twelve year old boy. 

"Maa, maa, Naruto-kun. You haven't been behaving lately have you? You've made one of your best customers upset with you." Naruto flinched away from the cold pale hand that cupped his scarred cheek.

Even though he had taken him in at such a young and helpless age, fed him and gave him a place to stay, Naruto held the deepest dislike for the black haired man. He truly did not care the least bit for Madara-sama.

"Naruto, I think it would be polilte of you to thank Kabuto-kun here for returning you safely back home." Madara advised, tilting Naruto's chin up towards the silver haired man who was standing by the door looking down at the little blond with a expectant smugness.

"Oh no, Madara-san, its quite alright. Locating him was... easier then I could have hoped." The young man said, waving a hand throught he air slowly. Madara waved a hand right back.

"No excuses Kabuto-kun. Naruto will beg for forgiveness, the way he has been taught, like a good boy." the pale man said, flicking a spike of his black hair out of his face.

"Well, it is tempting, and who am I to refuse Madara-sama when the offer is so generous?" Kabuto responded.

Naruto bit back a sob, his body trembling. Madara chuckled a bit, standing up straight and gently scraping his finger nails through Naruto's scalp, pushing the boy to Kabuto, who placed his hold on thin tan shoulders.

"Just go ahead and leave him in the room when all is forgiven, Yakushi-san. Enjoy!" Madara said with a wave, going back to the computer screen and the file behind his desk.

-------------------------

The going rate of a single week long rental was, at average, a little under 5 million yen. One day rental bids got to around 3 million yen.Those were the only two options available when purchasing the Akatsuki's most prized possession. The child with golden blond hair, eyes as blue as the sky and as deep as the ocean, and skin that refused to pale. His code name, for security from law-abiding ears, was kept 'Kyuubi' to the auctioneers.

Uzumaki Naruto had been a slave all his life, having his innocence taken from him before he had even known what it was he lost.

Kabuto was certainly not at all as being humble about Madara's offer, forcing Naruto down onto his knees and ordering him to deep-throat his member whole. Naruto could only comply obediently.

Though, he realized that he was not doing it because he was ordered by Kabuto. Nor would he do it to show obedience to Madara. He was trying his best not to choke on Kabuto's cruel thrusts, because this must be what Sasuke wanted. Sasuke must want him to be happy with whatever life he had to go back to. And so, for Sasuke's sake, he would take everything. In the long run, he might just grow used to it.

------------------------

Naruto stared at the dull gray cement ceiling, tears slipping down his face. Kabuto had left a few minutes previouse, satisfied, but a little disapointed Madara hadn't allowed him to take the boy completely. As both he and Orochimaru were regular buyers, they knew full well that anything that made Naruto bleed was going to cost money, and depending on who else wanted the pleasure of it, a lot of money. In fact, the only one who was allowed to partake without cost was...

A door opened and shut, a dull, metallic grating against the renforced walls.

"Ah, Naruto-kun, been warmed up a bit?" Madara drawled, coasting across the room casualy. Naruto didn't sit up from his poistion on the thick matress. He decided that he no longer wished to look upon the man who's physical atributes were also that of someone who could never be as cruel as the maneger of Akatsuki Auction House. Yet even with the black hair, black eyes, and pale skin, Naruto would never confuse the two. Madara would always be Madara, and Sasuke would always and forever be Sasuke.

"Naruto, you gave the others and myself quite a scare, being spirited away like that. I was so worried for you, whether you were safe or warm, or if you were hurt. Do you enjoy making me worry over you?" The older man asked rhetorically. Naruto stared up at the ceiling.

"I was safer where I was..." he whispered out bravely. Madara frowned.

"Is that so? Well then, I'll just have to take extra precuations that you can't get away from me this time."

Naruto's mouth opened and he let out a silent scream as the pale man took hold of his twisted ankle, and snapped it further with a jerk of his wrist.

Pain enveloped Naruto's mind like nothing else, searing away his leg tissue like fire. Madara was smirking at his handiwork.

"Its a both a relief and a pity, that you can't make those pretty little screams anymore. You just made them so often, something had to be done. You understand of course."

Naruto writhed in pain, gasping and letting out high pitched whines of agony, clutching at the air over his rapidly swelling joint, not daring to touch it lest the pressure bring further pain. He was so consumed by it all, he barely took notice of Madara removing his black and dark grey hakama. Tears built up in large pools at the corner of Naruto's pain hazed blue eyes, and Madara began further torment.

His large pale hand roughly gripped Naruto's foot and yanked downward. Another silent scream was left to coil back into Naruto's heart with all the others he could never release. Madara began untying the light blue silken obi, turning it over in his hands, admiring it.

"My my, Orochimaru-san and Kabuto-kun were quite generous, dressing you in such a thing. Pity Im going to have to ruin it further, I can see you already started it for me." he said, noting the blood-soaked knee stains. Naruto wanted to correct him, shout out that it was in fact Sasuke-san who gave him such a beautiful kimono, but he bit his lip. The last thing he wanted was to make Madara think Sasuke had done something distasteful to Naruto, and tarnish the handsome business man's image. He would protect Sasuke from anyone who would think poorly of him.

"Oh Naruto, you just remain so innocent, even after all this time. Thats really not helping you at all, it just makes you more attractive." Naruto was never sure, wether or not the men who did these sort of things to him were talking to him, or themselves. He never thought to ask.

"Madara-sama... will you..." Naruto whispered between long pulls of shaky breathing. Madara stalled in his work of kissing the scars that lingered on Naruto's lithe stomach and turned his eyes on the tear stained blues.

"Begging, Naruto?" he inquired. Naruto kept silent for a moment, biting hard on his lower lip.

"Madara-sama... will you ever... let me go...?"

The first few weeks after turning ten, Naruto would ask this question. Eventualy, he stopped, and gave up hope that there was any chance at all. But he knew, Madara was a business man. He made compromises all the time. Perhaps there could be some sort of compromise in the young blond's future.

"Don't count on it, Naruto. You're my property."

With that, Madara thrusted into Naruto, silence as the boy's scream.

* * *

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Pain was a given. There would be agony, and lots of it, for the years that would follow. Hope would be lost, and desire strengthened.

It would be one especialy rainy day in July, odd for that month, several years afterwards, where a small, glowing soul that somehow still held it's innocence, would be once again reunited with the pale shimmering light that had shrouded itself in darkness to hide from the guilt and pain of remorse.

The pain endured, would change the lives of many, but none more so then the two who had saught to be returned to each other after so long.

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**Awwwww, now now, don't hurt me for ending this chapter like this quite yet. Next chapter will probably be a little longer. I'm usualy pretty good about updating once I have a time skip for some odd reason.**

**I really am so happy that I was able to get so many reviews. Now I didnt (couln't, really) respond to so many, but I loved and aprecaited each and every one.**

**Updates may be just a bit slow. I've got school now and you know how that goes. Then I want to try and get a job at this sushu restruant by my house. I hate sushi, but no one said I have to eat it, just serve it. I dont think I'll get the job. No one believes a 5'6'' middle class white girl with three tones hair and green-blue eyes can speak a lick of Japanese. I'm hoping to get the job by a slipping it in 'by accident' that I can speak it.**

**Almost like... a... ninja.  
**

**thank you so much for reading, reviewing, and supporting SasuNaru shota, which is surprisingly hard to come by any thats of good quality.**

**Remember kids, its 'Datte Bayo', not 'Believe it'.**

**-Rae-chan**


	7. Chapter 7

**Arigato gozaimas.**

**Thank you. Thank you all so much for the support, the compliments, and the general love. Even for the glomps I got!**

**Its made me very happy that so many people like this story, and I have almost 200 reviews. I didn't think people would like this story as much as you all do, but I'm so thrilled.**

**You've all made me a very happy young lady in this difficult time in my life. Like seriously, this had got to have been one of my worst months, but knowing I have your support is fantastic, and your all such kind people. Thank you!  
**

**So get to reading! Dont you wanna know what happens next?**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Naruto.**

**(sorry for the wait) **

* * *

_Ame Ni Shichigatsu - Rain in July_

* * *

Sasuke stared at the tray of pink, white, and green dango, and a small plate of ornigiri in front of him. He sat slouched, uncaring against the polished wooden table, black bangs tickling the soft, sensitive skin under his eyes. Every now and then a few people would come in to the simple teahouse, see_ the _Uchiha Brothers and Hatake Kakashi, famous novel writer, gawk, and be told to leave by the manager. It was not uncommon for Itachi to occasionaly buy out every table in a restraunt for privacy's sake when dining out with his little brother. 

For three years Sasuke had turned a cold hate and deep seeded grudge inward on himself. He had even gone as far as to sell his mansion and buy a smaller five bedroom town house in the Taito district, avoiding public and all social contact as much as possible for someone in charge of half of a multi-billion doller company. Both Itachi and Kakashi knew perfectly well what had cuased such a severe resentment of anything that had usualy gotten some reaction out of Sasuke. The way the young man would stop and stare up at the sky when taking rare walks around the park by his home, the way he avoided the color yellow or blue together.

And how the now twenty-seven year old man now despised rain.

Itachi had, at first, punished Sasuke for the mistake he had made, reminding him of it daily. However, the elder brother stopped the disiplinary treatment after only a week, seeing that Sasuke's guilt was reaching too severe a length. Kakashi had decided that he would not speak ill towards Sasuke, rather encourage him to not make the same mistake twice, and perhaps, if given the oppertunity, fix what he had disrupted.

But Sasuke had just gradualy gotten worse and worse, until he was as cold and sever as he was now; sitting in front of his brother and Uncle figure. Itachi held a stick against his thin set pale lips, a white and pink ball left to be consumed without outside notice. The raven haired man glanced toward the large bay windows that over looked the shore line of Yokohama. Going to the beach front restuant had been Kakashi's idea, the silver haired man saying it was due to his love of sea creatures. Itachi hadn't pushed the older man's strange reasoning, almost dragging Sasuke out of his house in Taito district and into a completely silent limo drive to the bay city.

It was July, a little after Sasuke's 27th birthday, and it was raining. The sky was dark and filled with the sound of the pattering rain, and the smell of wet sand and salt.

Sasuke looked both merderouse and self-loathing at the same time.

"I've told you, I wasn't hungry. I'd like to go back to my house now." Sasuke's baritone spoke up suddenly, smooth and laced with his irritation. Itachi glanced at Kakashi, who had removed his white medical mask (allergies, he said), and was chewing on a bit of yakitori. The silver haired man sighed and gave a slight nod in approval. Itachi glanced back to Sasuke, who had narrowed his eyes at the exchange.

"How long has it been since you started all this, Otouto? Three years?"

Sasuke's shoulders stiffened, and his fingers twitched.

"What are you talking so casually about Niisan?" Sasuke said it in a tone that spoke more of a demand then curiosity. Itachi reached into his suit jacket, extracting a small envelope, the Uchiha crest small in the upper right hand corner.

"Your style of doing things is so mysterious and debonair Itachi-kun." Kakashi said airily, waving about a finished skewer. Itachi gave a 'Hn' and set the envelope down in front of Sasuke. The younger man reached to take it, but Itachi swatted the pale digits with his own slightly larger hand.

"Damnit! What the hell do you think your doing?!" Sasuke snapped, taking his hand back and glaring at his brother. Yet his glare fadded slightly; Itachi was fixing him with a look that was quite serious. A side glance at Kakashi told him that this was obviousely something he needed to hear.

"You want to fix what you had done back then, correct? The mistake you made in ignorance." Itachi asked, his fingers laying across the white envelope before him. Sasuke's eyes widened and flickered. His chest felt pressurized and heavy. Images, quick as they were, moved through his mind, yellow, blue, and tan blurring together. There was those damn images that Sasuke saw when he closed his eyes; the boy eating a silly little crepe like he had never believed such a thing could exist, the boy sleeping soundly with an overly large stuffed white bear, the boy smiling brightly,

..the boy climbing slowly into the back of a limousine, big watery blue eyes searching, pleading...

"Why are you bringing that up Niisan..." Sasuke spoke softly. If the tearoom had been filled with its usual customers, Sasuke's voice would have been lost in the background. But at that moment, Itachi and Kakashi could hear the young man speak clearly over the soft pattering of rain outside against the sea.

"Do you want to fix things, Sasuke? If there were a way, would you go down the path of your own choice this time, make amends of the wrong you had done?"

Sasuke stared at Itachi, searching for deception. Kakashi eyed Sasuke; judging his reation.

"I...I would, yes. But I can't. Theres nothing I can do." the young man said, looking out the dark window. Itachi took his hand off the envelope, and stood up.

"Sasuke, if you were truly worthy of your Uchiha blood, you would recognize honor from foolish pride. In that envelope, you'll find the opportunity you need." the tall raven haired man said. Kakshi stood up and followed him out, adjusting his medical mask back on his face. Together they walked to the entrance, Sasuke staring at the envelope in his hands.

"Sasuke, just don't do anything... thoughtless."

Sasuke started at Itachi's warning, his chest increasing in pressure. He felt smothered. He could hear the sounds of car doors opening and closing, and then the heavy sound of Itachi's vehicle driving away before he himself got up and walked out. He restraunt owner bowed respectively as he left, walking out to his car quickly so as not to become completely soaked. He used the remote unlock on his car pager to open the drivers side before clambering in.

Just like his house, Sasuke had too changed cars (although becuase the Acura had been a gift from Itachi, he kept it in his garage instead of selling it). He now sat comfortable in the leather interior of a black Zagato Ottovu. While many expected him to drive high class German or Italian cars, he prefered the conviniance of the Japanese made. Either way, he didn't particularily care. To him, it was just something he left to Itachi to pick out for him while he worked in the office.

That aside, Sasuke stared at the rectangle of paper in his hands. The envelope wasn't thick, but Sasuke had know Itachi long enough to know that his elder brother would always do the unnecisary just to irritate his younger. Sasuke gave a deep sigh and ripped the side of the envelope off, digging inside to extract the small, index card-like paper within.

'_Arakawa district, Tokyo_

_Horimura street ally way market _

_Akatsuki_

_Midnight_

_'Kyuubi''_

The words were written in Itachi's perfect strokes, the kangi and hirigana perfectly legible. Sasuke stared at the paper, recognising them as some kind of directions. The young Uchiha scowled.

He despised Arakawa district. The amount of times he had driven out of his way when traveling anywhere to just search the streets. What he would have done had he found that thing (person) he searched for, he didn't know, but he had done so diligently. Then, as time went on, he began to avoid it completely, bypassing it by going through neighboring wards, taking himself often times miles out of a set path so he never had to drive through its streets.

But the message on the paper was making Sasuke's skin tingle. The paper was set on his dashboard, and the raven started up the car, the headlights lighting up the dull gray road as he made his way back to Tokyo.

It was 10:34. the card said he had until 12:00 a.m to find this place. Itachi said he would find answers. He would find absolution. He had his doubts that what he had done could ever be forgiven. Handing over a child to a life of neglect, abuse, and god forbid the highest of the taboos, all for the sake of what he had thought was the correct image. It was his greatest mistake,t he one he had often wondered if he even deserved forgiveness for.

Sasuke sped up, now crossing out of Yokohama. Tokyo, being the capitol of Japan, was not small in any regards. He had only a few hours to get into Arakawa, find Horimura street, and make his way into the nearby ally markets, which he knew would have to be done by foot.

But why did he need to go there to begin with? The markets in that corner of the city were, for lack of a better phrase, a complete Dive. It wasn't as though hte entire district was a complete mess, it was just that area, like that of any other city, was home to some less then legal trade dealings.

Sasuke felt a sickening feelings swirl around his stomach.

This place called 'Akatsuki', like the name of a manga or novel or something, seemed harmless enough. But Sasuke had been around long enough to know that things were not what they seemed most of the time.

* * *

It was as Sasuke had expected. 

Like any other you could find around Japan, Horimura street turned off into an ally way market. Yet, as Sasuke's wrist watch struck 11:50 a.m, the businesses and their seedy looking clientel were buzzing alive with unsavory gestures and shouts from drunken me and women. Neon signs hung in glass-less windows, men in relaxed business suits pressed young woman whom weren't wearing much up against drain pipe covered walls. Sasuke cringed inwardly at the smell of vomit that someone apparently tried to mask with the scent of incense and thick offensive perfume. The raven haired man avoided touching anyone as he scanned the dingy shop signs, searching for that which Itachi had informed him of. It was drawing too near to Midnight, and he had yet to find it. The last resort was to ask someone. Sasuke shuddered as he approached a middle aged woman wearing too much makeup and too little cloths.

"Sumimasen, but do you know where I could find a place called 'Akatsuki'?" Sasuke tried to ask without showing his disgust at the way the woman licked her lips while looking him up and down approvingly. She chuckled a bit.

"Come for tonights bidding, hm? You're late honey, its probably gonna be full soon. Akatsuki's down the path just a few more shops, Signs in red, the one with the clouds, can't miss it. You'd better get moving though, little boy." the woman said, pointing a long red nailed finger down the way. Sasuke was surprised at her helpfulness, but gave a slight bow and followed her directions.

Soon, he approached one of the cleanest looking buildings on the row. There were a few men going in and a few leaving (with grins and satisfied expressions). Sasuke choked back a bit on the smell of cigar and ciggerett smoke that hung in the air, pushing aside his lack of enthusiasm, and walked in.

There was action everywhere.

Men sat in chairs around a center stage with a sleek looking velvet curtian. Every seat was occupied, save for one beside two men who sat accross the room from one another, one with red hair, and the other with long chocolately brown. Sasuke shifted uncomfortably. This was the place Itachi thought he should be? He knew his brother, and his brother, unfortunately, knew him. Itachi would not bring up such disturbing things, send him to a skeevy part of Tokyo, just to get a humorous anicdote for future use.

Sasuke swallowed hard and made his way to the empty seat beside the red head, because it was closer, but stopped when a a loud voice filled the space.

"Well now, I trust everyone is ready to start the bidding on tonights special?" a man's deep voice hummed in Sasuke's brain. It sounded familiar, like he had heard it once before but forgot it as time went on. Regardless, he stared at the source, which was a tall, pale man with long spikes of black hair, dressed in a very elaborate black and red hakama. His eyes, too, were black, from what Sasuke could tell at his distance. It irked the Uchiha a bit when those outside the Uchiha family had traits that one might find of only the pristegiouse family members. The man waved his hands to silence the loud booming cheers of the men in the audiance.

"Alright gentlemen, I trust you brought your wallets with you this fine night, because the Fox you all seek is perhaps more beautiful then ever after his brief medical leave. You all work him too hard!" The announcer yelled, causing jeers of laughter and shouts of sinful acts were tossed into the smoke filled air. Sasuke scowled. It was such a disgusting thing to say. The man spoke as if whatever person he was talking about was an animal. Pale hands formed fists.

"Alright then gentlemen, lets see he which you have all been waiting so patiently for. Give him a big 'Oyasuminasai'! Kyuubi-chan!"

The room exploded with the shout, making Sasuke cover his ears and wince one eye shut, the other eye watching as the curtian on the stage was pulled open.

_'You live here all by yourself, Ossan?'_

Sasuke's eyes widened, his pupils dissapearing into a dot of dark grey.

_'That must be so lonely!'_

In a large plexiglass container of sorts, was a boy. Blond hair cut in soft golden spikes fell around a round face. The boy wore a female kimono, orange and red flame-like designs eating away at the fabric that had slipped off tan, feminin shoulders and pooled around on the cushioned floorboards. Bright blue eyes looked away from the jeers and lusty shouts. The boy held the sleeve of the kimono up to his pink lips, giving an image of being lost or worried. Three thin scars marred the boy's cheeks, making Sasuke's mental image all the more secure.

_'What would Master like me to do now...?'_

"..Nn...Naru...to..." Sasuke whispered words were drowned out in an onslaught of shouted numbers. Large numbers.

It took a moment or two for Sasuke to realize, much to his utter horror, what those numbers meant. They were bids.

This place, this event, these people.

An auction.

With Naruto's frail, beautiful body as the prize.

* * *

**Few. Chapter done. So whats going to happen now I wonder? Of course I know, but you all don't. You'll have to wait patiently for me to update next. I haven't a clue when that would be, but hopefully it wont take that long. I've had a lot on my plate lately. Hopefully you'll have it before Naruto's birthday next month, ne?**

**Once again, thank you all so much.**

**Btw, although it might SEEM like I know what Im talking about when I write about Sasuke's bitchin' cars or the geographical structure of Yokohama and Tokyo, I only know fair amounts. Im a phony. But as long as it seems like I know, its not hurting anyone. Oh, maybe I should post a disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Japan, ahahhahahaha.**

**love you guys lots, your all such kind people.**

**-Raechel (used my real name, thats how sincere I am!)  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you so much.**

**disclaimer: I dont own Naruto, Kishimoto got him first.**

**speaking of which, since Im a little early, I'll do it now:**

**HAPPY UP AND COMING BIRTHDAY NARUTO-TAN! **

**a brief precursor: from what I understand about Japanese currency, Millions of yen equals out to a different thousands of dollars. I learned it from Ouran High! The eight million yen vase that got smashed, transfered out to 50 thousand dollars. I figure Naruto-chan would be worth a lot to nasty pervs. Especially rich ones who don't care where their money goes.**

**okay, enjoy the new chapter!**

* * *

_Shichigatsu ni Ame - Rain in July_

* * *

_'I promise I'll bring you back from the Darkness...'_**  
**

* * *

Numbers. 

Numbers everywhere.

Redculouse sums of money. Unreasonable. Unhealthy.

Sasuke stood amungst the numbers, the shouts, the smoke and sketchy looking businessmen. He stood, transfixed by the beautiful creature he had returned to the darkness so long ago. Naruto was looking away from the croud, glancing in every now and then with a worried expression, large cerulean spheres wavering with the light that shown down from the spot light above the stage. Sasuke wanted to reach out, touch the glass walls of the 'display case' the small blond was being held in.

"Three million yen, is that truly our final bid on Kyuubi-chan for the night?" The Host asked the ravenouse audiance. Sasuke felt a pang of pure hatred flash through his insides.

"Four million." He shouted, the number leaving his lips like a decleration of war. The room stilled, countless eyes fixed on the Uchiha's back as he forced the Host into a staring contest. The man looked like some one had dropped a bucket of ice water over his head, his inky-black eyes dialated in momentary shock at seeing the Uchiha standing there. There were whispers from the men, some angry, and some curiouse as to who this new-comer was and how he had fallen into their world. Sasuke was sure that among the croud, he was surely one of the few who still held a strong air of dignity, respect, and superiority around him. Though every second he spent in the place, it was falling.

"Well thats more like it." The Host said with a sly smirk, ripping his eyes away from Sasuke's to stare over the croud. "Four million yen. Are you all going to hand over your chance to spend a whole week with Kyuubi-chan over to this young man, a newcomer no less?"

Sasuke stared over his shoulder, summoning up his fiercest glare, the one that Itachi had taught him, the one that made the masses of fools cower. And cower many of the men did.

Except two.

"Four million, fifty-thousand." a man with angry, vivid spikes of red hair curling slightly around a kanji tatoo on his forehead, stood up and stared at Sasuke. Immeadiatly Sasuke could recognise him.

'_Gaara...'_

The Uchiha saw him every few months, the President of the Family-owned business 'Sabaku Inc.'. The red-head had inherrited it, even though he was the youngest of his siblings, through the shear terror he envoked in competing businesses. There was a rumor that while the man was a child, his father would bring him to sit in at meetings, and those present would bend to anything the father said, merely out of fear of the look the young boy at his side would burn them with. Gaara was a fierce... 'partner' of sorts, with the Uchiha name, right along there with the-

"Four million three hundred thousand." Sasuke's eyes widened.

_'Thats... surely not... Hyuuga Neji.'_

At the other end of the room, another man, pale skin not unlike both Gaara and Sasuke himself, stood staring at both the red head and the brunette. His long chocolate brown hair was tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, ever present bandages that wrapped around his forehead for as long as Sasuke had ever known of him. His eyes were a very pale, eerily milky white lavender that you would expect to mean that he was blind. Sasuke knew all to well that somehow, the President of the branch company for Hyuuga Enterprises had most perfect vision.

There was a three way glaring fest, the a setting had quieted down, and the other men were watching in awe as the richest, most tyranical beings in the room clashed over a prize that was most preciously wanted. Sasuke's eyes narrowed tightly.

He could not loose.

"My goodness, do I hear Five million?" the Host asked. Sasuke's eyes flew to the stage.

"Five million." he announced.

It was then, with the silcence of the room, that Sasuke was able to hear a soft squeeking-scratch sound. His attention went to the young boy in the plexi-glass box.

Naruto's large blue eyes that seemed to get an even deeper quality to them over the three years since he was a lost child in the rain fixed apon Sasuke. Elegant golden brows furrowed, and a curious pout formed on petal pink lips. Naruto was leaning towards the audiance (or more specifically, Sasuke), and hand his slim hands pressed lightly against the surface of the glass, slightly long nails scraping against the clear barrier. Sasuke felt his heart pull.

_'Does he... remember me...?'_

"Five million fifty thousand." Neji shouted.

"Seventy thousand." Gaara shouted back, glaring towards the Hyuuga. Sasuke tore his eyes painfully away from the cute sight Naruto's older form was giving off, knowing the small act of recognition the blond had just shown was reason behind the urgent bids both men had called out.

"Six million." Sasuke snapped. Both Neji and Gaara silenced, glaring at the raven haired man. Sasuke's insides burned, his palms hurt from the pressure of his fists. The pale skinned, black haired host stared betweent he three, a smirk on his face between long spiky bangs.

"Going once...?"

Neji clenched his teeth, a vein throbbing beneath the bandages across his brow.

"Going twice...?"

Gaara's thick rimmed green eyes stared like fire into Sasuke's own blacked grey. Sasuke with-held a flinch.

"Sold, to the young man in the suit, who must have a thing for blondes." the Host said with something lacing his words, as red curtians fell across the stage, and hid the object of Sasuke's thoughts, dreams, and regrets. But still, having to spend money or not, Sasuke had him now, in his grasp.

He would be damned to let him go once more.

* * *

_- _

_ -_

_ -_

_'There once was a little kitsune, who lived with his mother and father in the forest. _

_The little kitsune was quite cute, and adored among all other forest animals. The Okaa-san and Otou-san of the little kitsune always told their kit to be kind and smile brightly at the other creatures, for it was their poor fortune that they could not posses a baby creature who was quite as adorable as he. The little kitsune thought it was an amazing thing, to be loved by so many, and indeed he was happy._

_So one day, when Otou-san was out searching for food, and Okaa-san was home with the little Kitsune, a wolf, who had heard tale of a creature so bright and lovely that it rivaled his own grace, came to see what all the other animals were talking so excitedly about. Sure enough, when the big black wolf looked down at the tiny little Kitsune, his heart did swell with want. _

_If only he could posses such a thing as the little Kitsune, surely the other creatures would revere his image above all others! Such a miracle of nature that was the Little Kitsune could not be kept only to his Okaa-san and Otou-san._

_So, the Big black wolf put on his most charming smile and asked the Okaa-san Kitsune, if she could perhaps allow him to take her kit, and give him a life where he would bis beautiful image would be shared with others. Okaa-san Kitsune, worried over the Little Kitsune's future if he were to go with a known predator such as the Wolf, gave a strict 'no'._

_The wolf was shocked! How could Okaa-san Kitsune deny such an offer? The wolf simply had to have the little kitsune by his side, there was just no other path now that he had seen such an attractive young animal! Surely he was the only one who could see that the future of the little kitsune would be much better if he were to spend it under the Wolf's protection.  
_

_And so, the black wolf hid behind a cluster of trees and waited until Otou-san Kitsune would return home. Soon enough, the Otou-san Kitsune began walking down the path that led to his burrow, having retrieved a fine meal for his family. The wolf leaped out, and intercepted Otou-san Kitsune, making sure that Otou-san Kitsune would not wake up ever again from the deep sleep the Wolf put him under._

_Finishing that, the Wolf called out to Okaa-san Kitsune from outside the burrow, and when she did come out to see if perhaps it was her husband, she too, was put into an etermal sleep just the same! The wolf was excited, now the little Kitsune could be his!_

_The little kitsune went with the wolf, and grew up in such a way that his every need was provided for, and he never did remember the mean Okaa-san or Otou-san, who wanted to selfishly keep him all to themselves. The little Kitsune was from then on shared happily amongst the other forest creatures, who were now most happy that they too were able to give all their love to him._

_ And so, the kind black wolf stayed together with the Little Kitsune to watch over him all the while, and give him all the love he ever needed._

_-_

_-_

Naruto sat in his plexiglass container backstage, 'reading' the fairy tale that Madara had read to him growing up off a yellowed peice of paper. The fifteen year old was proud of himself that he was now able to read every word written. The kanji and hirigana was handwritten by Madara's own hand, which had always made Naruto feel special, recalling the times from before his auctioning days had begun. He gave a short sigh.

His medical leave, or, 'vacation' away from the auctions was too short, he was going to be sold off to another Master again.

Naruto folded the paper gently and hid it back in the folds of his silken kimono sleeves. Blue eyes stared at the rich embroidery in the skirt's stitching, though not really taking it in.

_'Could it.. really have been that person...'_

The blond could remember a kind of feeling, like a deep warmth when he thought about a certian man who he seemed to umwillingly forget as the years went by. He did wish with everything he had that he could recall such a person. And, he suspected that perhaps it was a trick, but he saw a man amungst the usual bidders. A very handsome person, with raven black hair, black eyes, and pale skin, like Madara-sama, but... kinder. That man's voice was canceled out by the terrible hard clear walls, so Naruto was left to only try and reach out to the man. Yet, still he was blocked, so he had to try and touch the man through the barrier.

Naruto was hopeful, that maybe that man who was so familiar to him was perhaps the one who perchased him for the next week. Yet, Naruto couldn't know if that was the case. And, even though he cringed to think of the possiblity, it was most likely the familiar faces of Hyuuga-sama or Gaara-sama who had won in the end. They were the fiercest competetors from what Naruto could tell by body language and reading lips.

The small teen gave a shudder. He wished he was like the Little Kitsune sometimes. That he could live in a forest with a kind loving wolf, being loved by all of the forest animals...

"Ah!" Naruto gasped, clamping a thin tan hand over his lips. The wish sounded far too selfish, and Madara always told him how selfish spoiled children like him could get if they didn't take to counting and appriciating the things they had.

_'Still...'_

A sudden bang rattled Naruto out of his musings, and he ruffled indignantly at the older man who had pounded on the plexiglass container, peering in and giving a two fingered wave with winking violet eyes. Naruto pouted up at him while the man dealt with the lock on the side door, unlatching it and swinging it open.

"Well fuck me sideways, someone was sure popular tonight, as usual! You're such a kink to all those fucking closet perverts." A large pale hand ruffled golden spikes. Naruto huffed. The man smirked and lifted the blond off his delicate legs, tracing a triangle on Naruto's whiskered cheek.

"Maa, Hidan-sama! Yammete! Madara-sama said to stop doing that when I'm about to go to the customer! You'll get in trouble!" Naruto whined, pushing the silver haired man's face away, making him veer off to the side while he carried the boy down a dark hallway. Hidan sneered.

"Its not my fault. That old fucking geezer knows better then to put someone like me in charge of a fucking ass-toy like you. You know, you'd make a fine addition to Jashin, na?" he whispered huskily into Naruto's ear. The boy pouted.

"Iie, I'll say no once again, Hidan-sama. And please don't refer to me as an 'Ass-toy'. It might be true but I'd rather you just think it then say it to my face." Hidan laughed heartily at Naruto's reply, kicking open a door at the end of the hallway and setting Naruto down non-too-gently onto a floor cushion. Naruto stuck his tongue out and sat himself into a comfortable position. Hidan leaned against the wall.

It was all customary for Naruto. Here he would sit until Madara-sama cleared the auction floor of the men who had not won their purchases. Soon, he would come in accompanied by the man who would be Master of Naruto's world for the next seven days. Blue eyes suddenly flashed, and the whisker-marked boy turned expectantly to Hidan, who was counting vile sounding roseries on his Jashin charm.

"Na, Hidan-sama."

A violet eye snapped open and looked down.

"What is it now, Pillow-biter?" the older man asked with an annoyed sigh. Naruto tilted his head and blinked, not really getting what he was sure sounded like an insult. He brushed it off.

"Eto, who was the man who purchased me tonight?" he asked, sure that Hidan would make either a loopy motion around his temple that was code for Gaara, or roll his eyes into the back of his head, which Naruto knew as Hyuuga-sama. But Hidan did neither, touching a thoughtful finger to his strong chin.

"Hm. I acctualy don't know who the fuck this knew guy is. Looks fucking familiar though, like I've seen him in the paper or something." he said, slicking back his sleek hair. Naruto furrowed his brows.

"Hidan-sama reads the news papers?"

"I look at all the fuckers who appear in the pictures holding hands with other rich assholes. 'Cause I know that while they're doin' that, they're going to come here on the weekends to use that same fucking hand to diddle some slut. Fucking disgusting isn't it?" Naruto looked away. Hidan was a very foul-mouthed, brash, and crude man. But, he nearly always had a way of adressing a situation just as it was.

"So you think the man that bought me might have been the one who looks a little like Madara-sama?" Naruto asked, lightly hopeful. Hidan gave him a searching look.

"Fuck kid, that guy fucks your brains out every night you spend here instead of some customers house, and you're still hoping that some fuck head buys you who looks like him? You in love with Madara-san or something?" he accused. Naruto stared up for a moment, then looked away, toying with the obi around his middle.

"Its not that... but... that person... He felt... warm." Naruto was just sort of whispering, but Hidan could hear him clearly. He made another face.

"You're such a weird little shit you know that? Its like your in a fucking chick manga half the time you open your god damned mouth.: I could think of a lot better things it could do then just talk all the time."

Naruto rolled his eyes when Hidan grabbed his wrists and pinned him under his heavily muscled body.

"Na, Naruto, how 'bout you scream a little?"

Naruto stiffened considerably at Hidan's words.

_'I... I can't... I can't...'_

"Hidan-sama... yamete kudasai." Naruto warned in a calm, steely sounding voice. Hidan chuckled and began lapping at the smaller body's collar bone.

"We've got a good couple of minutes left to go. I'm always so nice to you Naruto, how bout you suck me off in return, and then we'll-"

"My my, Hidan-kun. And here I thought that you would understand the rules from just a fair confrence. Obviousely you need a more strict lesson."

Hidan's eyes shot open and he scrambled off Naruto as though afraid of catching a disease. The door to the room had opened, and Madara walked in, red and black hakama giving him the look of a feudal Clan Leader. His long spikes of raven black hair obscured slightly have a haughty smirk he had plastered across his pale features. Naruto lifted himself up on his knees and bowed to the man. Hidan did the same, looking everywhere but at his employer's face. Madara's smirk widened and he raised a hand, motioning to the person behind him.

Naruto's eyes widened.

A man, sporting a pressed black suit, polished dress shoes, and all without even a speck of debris came in from behind Madara. The resemblance was amazing, what with the newcomer's short spiked of blue-black hair that framed his pale skin with slightly longer bangs, and the darkened grey-black eyes that pulled in Naruto's bright blue when the pair connected. There was a moment of silce around the room, as Naruto and the man stared at each other.

Naruto would admit, he was deffinately surprised when the heavenly God of a man's eyes flashed with a strange sort of pain, and his lips let loose a whisper;

"Naruto?"

* * *

**Wa, sorry for the shortness. Im heavily stressed. Someone I used to be quite close to is in the hospital, and will be dieing shortly.**

**Don't drink kids, its not the best idea. Parents who do are so irresponsible. Iris knows what I'm sayin'. **

**Take care of yourselves everyone!**

**And thank you for all the reviews you've given to an undeserving person like me. :(**

**kissu-kissu**

**-Rae-chan  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Gomen nasai, for the wait.**

**I am trying to update, but its been difficult. The support for this story is overwhelming, and I feel terrible I'm unable to write at the speed which you deserve. Gomen nasai. **

**This chapter, while not dedicated to this person, I suppose can be... written while the memory of that person having died is still fresh in my mind. The person I told you about last chapter who had been checked into the hospital, recently died on October 20th at 3:35 pm. Its strange to me, that nothing seems to have changed in my general demeanor. Either way, she has died, and from that I have learned from the mistakes she had done to lead her to that final conclusion. **

**Its my greatest wish that none of you wind up in the manner my Mother had been in. Take care of yourselves, and those that are most important to you.**

**Give the people you like best big hugs!! **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto. -sniffles- **

* * *

"Well Uchiha-kun, you have confirmed the item you've purchased tonight, I take it? Pity someone had leaked out Naruto-kun's real name to you..." 

Sasuke's dark eyes flickered to the older man at his right, a flicker of rage licking at his insides. The blond boy sitting on the floor before him was a _human_, and was being called an 'item'. Although Sasuke knew he was fully capable of making an uproar, Itachi's warning against thoughtless acts ran through him, and he bit into his tongue, giving the still nameless Auctioneer a nod. The black haired man grinned in a fiendish manner that unsetteled the young business man.

"Very well, you may return to your home, and Naruto-kun here will be delivered to you shortly by my employee, Hidan-kun." The auctioneer informed Sasuke while shaking his hand and guiding him out the door. Sasuke began to protest, feeling Naruto's large blue eyes pulling at him to come back in to the room. However, a man with fierce dark violet eyes and heavily gelled back silver hair pulled the door shut while walking out behind him, blocking Sasuke from the young teenager he had purchased.

"Whats your address, I'm not going to spend the rest of my fucking night searching for your ass across Honshu." Hidan drawled. Sasuke glared at the man, who seemed so at ease with this hole business; wearing his red and black hakama, and running a black beaded rosary through his fingers. Sasuke noted where a Cross usually was, there was a circle with a centered triangle.

"Heres my private card." the Uchiha said with a clipped tone, pulling the small glossed white card from his jacket's breast pocket. Hidan took it between two fingers and without checking it over, tucked it into his waist band.

The two men stood in the dark hall for a few moments, in silence, before the elder of the two scratched his jaw line and waved a rosary entwined hand.

"You can go home now, Prick. The brat aint going to get into your bed any faster with you just fucking standing here. Don't get your panties in a twist, I'll deliver the little fox." Sasuke glared heatedly, the rage in his stomach filling his insides and almost overpowering him. He wanted_ so_ badly to beat the shit out of this man, who didn't, couldn't, understand at all his true reasons for 'purchasing' Naruto. Heaven forbid he had even entered this area of Arakawa all together on his own will.

Still though, Itachi's words rang true of their warning. No thoughtless actions on the young Uchiha's part. Sasuke bit his tongue to swallow down the furious words of rejection of the pride-injuring insults.

This 'Hidan', brash, nasty, and foul mouthed, was probably someone who could fuck up everything Sasuke was trying to do with little to no effort. And so, with a stiff nod, Sasuke turned on his heel and walked back through the hallway the the Auctioneer had led him down. He passed mismatched couple's feeding off each other's saliva, older men dragging teenage girls and boy's behind them, the pairs giggling. He could feel the disgust in his veins, the heavy smoke in the air biting at his eyes.

Truth be told, he wanted nothing less then to go back to that room and grab the cute young man Naruto had grown into, storm out, kill every sickening indevidual in his way, throw the little blond into his car, and drive to Itachi's house where the two could both keep an eye on the young boy while making plans on getting revenge for every man who had violated Naruto's angelic visage.

The door of Sasuke's Zagato slammed shut, and he gripped the wheel until his knuckles turned white. An exasperated sigh slipped through his lips.

_"Theres still me..."_

The raven haired man started up the engine, pulling out of his parking place and crawling out of the backstreet ally.

That was the truth. Even if he did plan on revenge, if he went after every person who had wronged Naruto, it would be something impossible to finish. Because he would still exist in the end.

He too, had done the worst thing imaginable to the poor child. Tossing him back into a filthy life. A filthy world. He had yet to make amends in the way Naruto deserved. He had yet to show the boy a happiness he could be truly at peace with. It wasn't about Sasuke's own selfish whims any longer. The Uchiha name had everything, an Uchiha could **do** anything. But despite everything, Sasuke was unable to turn back time and undo mistakes.

But, for that little boy with a smile as bright as the spikes of hair on his head and the blue in his eyes...

Sasuke was going to try.

* * *

"Dear, dear little Naruto-kun." 

Naruto stared up with big blue eyes at Madara, his chin slightly tilted. What was that tone the older man was using...?

"Hai, Madara-sama?"

Naruto just stared blankly while Madara bent and sat beside him, his large pale hand moving to cup Naruto's soft scarred tan cheek. Naruto smiled slightly. Lately, it had been rare for Madara to touch him in a gentle manner, so he favored this contact rather then the harsher treatment. He really liked it when Madara treated him kindly, becuase if he blurred his eyes, the older man just turned into a blur of pale skin, dark features, and a soft sort or warmth. He found comfort in the diluted Madara, almost like he was picturing someone else, even though there was no one he could think of that he could mistake Madara-sama for.

"Naruto-kun, what did you think of the man you just saw?" Naruto tilted his head to the side in consideration of Madara's question. What did he think of the new Master he would be called upon for the next 7 days?

"He... looked a little bit like Madara-sama. You know, his hair and his eyes? It was like yours." the blond teen replied. Madara studied Naruto carefully for a moment.

"You don't know who he is, right?" Now Naruto was a little more confused.

:"Iie. Nan de, should I Madara-sama?" he asked. Madara's pale lips turned upward is a smooth smirk-like smile.

"Of course not Naruto-kun. Hes nothing special to you. You must only give him the pleasure he paid for. He bought you for only one reason Naruto-kun. And you must carry out your purpose." Madara said, leaning in and whispering into Naruto's ear, giving it a slow lick. Naruto just nodded with no particular look of disgust or surprise. After all, the small blond had by far gotten used to it by this point.

With a satisfied huff of air, Madara stood back up, straightening his hakama and tucking either of his arms into the long sleeves. He smiled down at Naruto, the blond staring up at him.

"Well then, I'll be seeing you in seven days Naruto-kun." Madara turned and walked towards the door, the teen behind him staring up at his back.

"Hai." Naruto nodded. Madara froze with his hand poised over the doorway. Hidan on the other side glanced in quickly.

"And, Naruto-kun..." the blank haired man said, his voice getting low and slightly dangerous. Naruto shivered.

"Hai?"

Black eyes flashed with a pearly sort of forboding.

"Do not rest easy, I _will _see you again when your time with Uchiha Sasuke is up. And we will be having our special alone time afterwards."

And with that, Madara turned the corner, leaving Hidan to move into the doorway and hoist Naruto to his slender legs. Blue eyes focused and unfocused on the doorway.

"Hai."

* * *

Outwardly, Sasuke seemed to be perfectly calm, contradicted by the fact he was pacing from his front door to the back living room. His hands were clasped behind him, his skin free of nervous sweat that often came from hyper extending one's sense of self. The young Uchiha's ear were straining to hear the ring of his doorbell. 

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. That damn Hidan. Surely he could have just taken Naruto somewhere else and deserted both Sasuke and his employer. Pale hands clenched into fists and Sasuke glanced at the hard plastic cup he had filled with ice water earlier. He frowned at it. Itachi had replaced all of his glass ware with plastic after finding out that when heavily irritated, his younger brother had a knack for throwing glasses and silverware.

He was upset. Even though three years had past, Naruto had really forgotten him? True, they hadn't spent all together that much time in each others presence, but still Sasuke would like to think that the small tormented little boy he had betrayed would still rememeber him. Hell, he could deal with Naruto clinging to his memory from the pure hatred of him, as long as he remembered him. After all, if Naruto didn't remember, Sasuke would have to remind him. It was simply the right thing to do.

_**Pin-pon...**_

He wasn't at all looking forward to having to look into those mezmorizing blue eyes and tell the boy that he had the ability to save him all those years back, but chose not t-

Was that the door bell just then...?

"I'm coming!" Sasuke shot around the corner towards his front door, nearly tripping while stepping into the foyer in his rush. He slid open the door with a flourish, and was greeted by that amazing blue. Naruto, who, although he had grown up some, was still many inches shorter then the Uchiha, stared up with a surpised look.

"You opened it so fast, you must be very eager, Master." the boyishly playful tone in Naruto's voice while he said such a thing after so long made Sasuke cringe. A car honked in the driveway, and slowly pulled away while Hidan stuck his head out the window.

"Au Revoir, shit head!" he yelled, shattering the peacefull silence that had covered the suburben neighbourhood. Sasuke scowled at the direction the car had sped off. Hidan, that bastard, deserved to have his head cut off and his body torn to pieces. Such a thing...

"Master, do you intend to play out on this porch, or are you going to take me inside?" Naruto quipped with a fox-like smile. Sasuke moved to the side and gestured wordlessly for Naruto to come in. The blond did, looking around while slipping off his small zori.

Sasuke just stared. Naruto had grown so elegantly. His skin was so tan and smooth, the orange and red kimono showed off small shoulders and knotted tightly about a feminin waist line. His hair was just as restlessly spiky and golden as ever, falling short just by the nape of his thin neck. Naruto turned, looking in a cute manner over his sholder, blinking big aqua marine eyes at the older man. Both stared at each other, and finaly, right when Sasuke was about to open his mouth to speak, Naruto beat him to it.

"Yup! Not with you!" He said happily. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Not with me what...?"

Naruto smiled, a genuine look of peace filling his eyes.

"I don't have to blur you to pretend your someone else, ya know?"

Sasuke didn't.

* * *

**Well! Thats that for this chapter. I'm pretty tired, it being Sunday night and all. I have school tomorow. But Halloween is on Wednesday! Thats good! I dont go out anymore, but Im gonna eat the candy we hand out to trick or treaters. Muhahahaha.**

**Thank you for your reviews and kind words, everyone!**

**By the by, does anyone know why so many NaruSasu's are being entered into the SasuNaru section? Its a little irritating to me, as a SasuNaru fan. Thats why there are seperate sections, no? I wanna know whats going on with that... **

**-Rae-chan **


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry I made you wait again...

and even writting a new story while not finishing this one. BUt hey, theres only a few more chapters of this, so I figured why not.

STUPID BOLD LETTERING ISNT WORKING, AND NEITHER ARE ITALICS OR UNDERLINING!! ITS MADDENING!!

Im going to have to find an alternative way to show emphasizim then by those means.

damnit.

DISCAIMER: I do not own. You no sue.

YAOI, SHOUNEN-AI, SHOTA, and maybe the moment you've all been waiting for?

-

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i miss my bold letters...

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* * *

The two stared at each other, not moving for some time. It was late, and Sasuke could feel his body moan in protest at being kept awake at a rediculouse hour. The rain outside had calmed to a soft pattering at the windows, the sound making the house's front entrance seem small and relaxing in a confined sort of way. Naruto wavered where he stood, his eyes half-lidded, his small smile a sleepy one. Sasuke took a step. 

"Its late, I'll set up a bed for you." he murmered, moving to go up the stairs, silently inviting the blond to follow him. Naruto did so, but hesitantly fingered his bottom lip.

"Master would not care for services tonight?" he asked quietly, as though nervouse of an affermative answer.

Sasuke's hand twitched on the railing. Such implications, such oppertunity, right there, right in back of him, all he had to do was twist around, gather the young boy up, and partake of his purchase... But...

"You'll be sleeping in the guest bedroom, Naruto-kun..."

"If thats what Master would like..."

Sasuke nodded, not bothering to correct Naruto's vocabulary just yet. Obviousely the boy didnt remember him, or was pretending not to. Not that Sasuke could find a good reason that the blond would recall his image at all. They had only stayed together for about two days when Sasuke had hit him on the rain slicked road years back.

But really, how could Naruto NOT remember the person who had the ability to save him, but had instead thrown him back to the wolves.

"Master..? Will I be sleeping on the stairs, or are you just thining really hard?" Naruto quipped behind the older man, breaking Sasuke out of his troubled thoughts as he stood at the top of the staircase. He berated himself silently, continutng to walk down the short hallway.

"I was... thinking, yes." he replied, hoping to avoid the innevitable uncomfortable silences that were sure to come between the two. Naruto gaev a small chuckle.

"Be careful, thinking really hard makes your hair grow long, so you'll get haircuts more often, or so they say." he said with a sardonic tone. Sasuke, despite himself, snapped back witha smirk.

"I suppose thats why you have such short hair, not much thought processing."

As the Uchiha opened the guest room door and went in, Naruto stayed at the thresh-hold with his cheeks inflated in indignacy.

"I'll have you know I'm really smart, teme! I can read kinda! And I'm even adding double digit numbers!!" he shouted, but imeadiately covered the lower half of his face with his hands, eyes wide in shock. Sasuke stilled from his work, letting the sheet he was laying accross the bed fall on its own. He turned.

Naruto had shouted at him. Had called him a bastard...

He had rebellion in his veins.

He wanted to break from his constriction, even if it was an unconciouse desire.

"Please! Forgive me Master, I didn't mean that, not any of it..!" Naruto threw himself foreward and gave a deep bow at Sasuke's feet, his palms flat on the floor.. Dark grey eyes flashed with disapointment. He ended up begging to take back what he said in the end...

"Stop that, get up. You should sleep." Naruto blinked as Sasuke's deep voice washed over him. It sounded like an order, but it wasn't. A strange thing that made Naruto unsure of what he was supposed to do.

"You... forgive me Master..?" he tested, like a cautious animal being hunted. Sasuke huffed and went to get a thick blue blanket down from a closet shelf, smoothing the wrinkles from the material over the sheet covered matress. The little lamp on the bedside table gave a soft yellow glow, the rest of the room lit up by the bright veil of clouds outside, illuminated a bright silver from the hidden moon.

"More over, theres nothing to forgive. And, please, I would like you to call me Sasuke." the Uchiha replied to Naruto's wary question. The younger boy twitched, his eyes momentarily darting into the lower left corner, before moving back to stare at Sasuke's form from behind.

"If I may say, Master, that I only know to address my superior by that title." he said, giving a slight bow, his Kimono moving back over his shoulders. Sasuke frowned and stared out the window, a silence falling between the two. Sasuke mused.

He had him. The small, frail boy he had destroyed himself in grief over the last three years. He had the exotic blond, blue eyed child, who had grown into a fine teenager, in his home; His safe house. Yet that only completed the innitial stages of Uzumaki Naruto gaining absolution from a dark life. The dark life that was all he seemed to know. Rescuing Naruto further, would call for one thing, and that was for Naruto to relize that the familiar image he had in his mind was in fact the very man standing before him.

"Naruto-kun..."

But, that also meant...

"Hai?"

Naruto would have to be remined of Sasuke's misdeeds as well. That the reason Naruto stayed in such a terrible life, was cause of the ignorant self-image of Uchiha Sasuke. A crime that even Uchiha Itachi would find distasteful.

" I've changed my mind..."

"About what, Master?"

"You'll.. be beside me tonight..."

"Hai."

Sasuke turned and walked out of the guest bedroom, not meeting Naruto's gaze. He wanted to stop. He should tell Naruto to stop following so closely behind him, to go back in the other room, to stay away until morning. Because the young teen was so cute, and Sasuke's resolve was weakening.

Sasuke's room was cold. The space was a comfortable sort of serenity flowing from the contrasting white walls and black bed-dressings. The large balcony windows facing an almost full view of nothing but the sky lit up the room in a silver glow. Sasuke ignored his lamp switch, it wouldn't be needed.. He closed the door after Naruto and remained standing while the blond looked around.

"Its a very lovely room Master..." the blue eyed boy spoke quietly, and Sasuke could hear a quiver of... something, that was trying desperately to hide in the other's voice. Silence filled the room once more, and Naruto turned to look up at the older male. Sasuke felt his palms sweat. The soft light illuminated Naruto with an angelic halo. He was... a tainted angle...

Pale hands reached out and slid down a slender tan neck, ghosting over small shoulders and lightly pushing at soft silken kimono. Naruto gave a sort of gasp and grabbed the front of Sasuke's shirt, his hands trembling.

"Master...?"

Sasuke moved forward, Naruto backing up until he caught his knees on the bed behind him. He let out a squeak as Sasuke's braced his arms on either side of his head, the older man's knee resting between his legs. Sasuke's bangs fell and shadowed his eyes, and his lips were set in a slight part, breath escaping in long drawls.

He knew that he needed to stop.

To stop right now, what was he thinking?! He moved his face in closer, his lips a mere centimeters away from Naruto's. Large blue eyes widened in surprise, then fell into a half-lidded realization.

"Souka dattebayo..."

The distance between the pair's lips closed as Naruto leaned up, bringing his arms to wrap around Sasuke's neck. The Uchiha stiffened, for a moment, the heat of Naruto's lips against his shocking his system. He stiffened once more, considerably, when a hot moist tongue licked at his bottom lip, causing something deep inside him to break free. He crushed his body against Naruto's, shoving his own tongue past the teens' teeth.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was screaming his lungs out for the ability to stop...

Naruto's eyes remained half-lidded, and Sasuke found his own closing in ecstasy, shifting his hips to grind against the smaller body under his. Naruto let out a muffled moan, and Sasuke pulled back slightly, reaching to untie the silken obi which tied the kimono together. The fabric was tossed aside, and Naruto allowed the Uchiah to gently push the orange and red robes from his body.

"Naruto..."

For some reason Sasuke found himself whispering the boy's name while he stared at the near perfect body that he wanted so badly to touch, to ravish into the matress. Naruto closed his eyes and gave Sasuke a pull, bringing the older man down to lay on the bed, where Naruto sat up and began to remove the white dress shirt. Sasuke's black eyes remained afixed to Naruto's oddly unemotional face.

'Its so...casual to him...'

Sasuke hissed as Naruto's tongue ran across his collarbone, trailing down his torso and lapping at the pale skin stretched over firm abs. Sasuke sat up and flipped Naruto over onto his back, staring down at the dazed pools of blue he could drown in before latching onto the thin tan neck once more. He moved his large pale hands down the boy's waist to tan theighs, gripping them with a small bit of pressure and searching in light sapphire eyes for something.

"Naruto-kun... do you want thi-"

"I only desire what Master desires."

Sasuke froze, his pupil's dialating into the mass of dark grey. The heat that was filling his body drained at the sad, robotical tone Naruto had used. The plain, heart-breaking look in the boy's eyes as he laid under the Uchiha, unmoving, as trained to do so as a dog.

At that point, Sasuke threw himself off the bed, away from Naruto, and ran into his bathroom. Naruto stared at the slightly ajar door, from which he could hear the sounds of retching. Spikes of blond tossled as the whisker marked teen sat up, still naked, and eyed the door, a slightly confused expression upon his face.

Was this Master ill? Did Naruto's body dissatisfy him to the extent he threw up like that? What was the problem?

"Master...?" Naruto called from his position on the bed. "Have you changed your mind? Do you not want servicing tonight?"

There was more muffled sounds of vomiting. Naruto pouted.

"Are you sick, Master...?"

A flush came from the toilet, then the gurgle and a few splashes of water from the sink, before Sasuke stumbled out of the bathroom, leaning against he doorway with a hand over his mouth. His bare, muscled chest had a few runaway trails of water that dripped from dark ebony bangs, and black eyes stared at the floor. Sasuke didn't look over at the small blond on his bed.

The small blond he had almost just...

"Nnngh..!!" Sasuke gripped his head with his hands, disgusted with himself. He had wanted to save the boy, save him from the type of thing he was about to partake of himself! It was ironic, hypocritical, and made Sasuke feel ill.

Sasuke froze as thin, but warm arms wrapped around his waist.

"Me too." Naruot whispered, and Sasuke could feel his lips move just slightly against his stomach. He was so much taller then the young boy...

"Naruto..." The name slipped past Sasuke's mouth, yet it was as though it disapeared once it left him. Naruto rubbed his cheek against the Uchiha's chest.

"After a while, I stopped throwing up like that. It... didn't feel wrong after a while, it just felt like thats the way things were natrually. So, don't feel bad over it..."

Sasuke slowly wrapped his arms around Naruto, fixing his fingers into messy blond spikes. He didn't really care that the boy was still naked, pressed up against him. He didn't particularily mind the fact that his eyes were burning in a way that made him realize he would soon be dropping tears. He didn't care, because Naruto was so much more important, with such a sad thing like that being said.

"Naruto... Do you... remember who I am...?"

He asked it. Dark eyes waited, a strong pulse of Sasuke's own rapidly beating heart filled his ears. Naruto did not shift, from his position, his large blue eyes stared out the balcony windows and into the silver laced clouds.

-

-

-

-

-

"Yes."

Dark eyes closed in a slow, slow wince.

"...I don't expect you to forgive me for what I did, but I..."

Naruto turned his head, staring up with his chin propped against Sasuke's pectorals. His head tilted to the side.

"You found me, that time I had run away a few years back. I remember it was raining, like today, and then I had woken up to your face, in that room colored white. I had thought you were Mada- ah... Master." Sasuke frowned and looked away, nodding.

"I had hit you with my car."

Naruto chuckled.

"That was my fault, I had ran without thinking of looking out for things like that. But, I don't get it... you were... the only one to ever be kind to me... why would that call for forgiveness?" he asked. Sasuke stared for a moment, and remained silent, thinking. He took Naruto's arms and held him away from his body, kneeling down to retrieve the thrown kimono.

His stomach churned as he forced himself to not look as Naruto pulled it back onto his small frame.

"Am I that ugly...?"

Sasuke whipped around, his throat full of protests.

"Your not ugly. Who said you were ugly?" It surprised the young business man, how calm and collected he sounded. Naruto stared down at the floor, looking small in his folds of silk. Slowly, the blond brought his tan hands up and stared at them in the moonlight, eying the details of each line, each slender finger.

"A person like me... just makes others sick."

He fell to his knees, those same elegant hands clutched his angelic face, yet as his shoulders shook as though he was screaming, there was silence. Sasuke moved quickly, and was at the boy's side in seconds.

"Naruto!"

He only just stopped himself from embracing the sinfully soft flesh, because he knew once he began, he might not be able to restrain himself completely once more.

Gasps and quiet sobbs were coming, muffled, from Naruto's huddled figure on the floor, Sasuke only allowing himself to gently place one arm around the younger boy's shoulder. It was a gesture mostly reserved for... 'friends', though Sasuke would not allow Naruto to even call him that. He didn't see himself absolved enough in Naruto's eyes for that.

"Eh-"

Sasuke held back a sort of gasp as Naruto flung his smaller, but still a little heavy body around his waist, causing Sasuke to fall back onto the floor, his back hitting and resting against the bed post. Naruto was sniffling as he burrowed his damp face into the older man's side. Sasuke held his hands up, not sure what to do.

"Though I... don't understand you completely Sasuke-sama... I... still...I..." Naruto whispered, his voice tired. Sasuke'seyes fell half-lidded, and gently he combed his large hands through blond spikes.

"Tomorrow..."

There was a sigh.

"Hai."

* * *

"Hmmm? A personal card?" 

Madara rolled his chair away from a glowing computer screen, facing his silver haired employee who stood at his doorway.

"Thats right, a personal card. Ice Prick gave it to me. You wanted information on your prize Fuck-Toy's buyer, didn't you?"

Madara gave a large smile.

"Thats a good boy Hidan-kun. Settle down, and mind the language, or I'll wash your mouth out with soap." a long pale finger wagged warningly back and forth in the air. Hidan at the door huffed.

"I'm a full grown fucking man I'll fucking curse however much I fucking want, Captian Pedophile. Heres the damn card." the violet eyed man threw a small rectangle of white paper, which was caught up almost unnatrualy between Madara's awaiting fingers. The black haired man smirked.

"That must be so, Hidan-kun."

Hidan waved a hand, turning.

"Aur Revoir, Boss-Man."

Madara swiveled back to face the computer, his hand raised blindly at the door.

"Tres bien, Underling Hidan-kun."

Pale lips twisted at the ink apon the business card's surface. Keyboard keys clacked in the silent room.

"Just try it, Uchiha Saasuke..."

Files apeared one after another on the computer screen. Lists of computer hacking logs and numerouse other dates and times with the letters 'U.I.' repeated after each input.

"Your brother diving into my accounts, fishing in treacherous waters... not playing nice are you?"

A click of a mouse, and the screen went blank.

"This wolf worked hard to get that little fox, I wont have my prize stolen from me by a misplaced snake... Uhciha Sasuke."

* * *

Heh. Guess you have to wait a little bit longer tosee what more will happen!!

IM SO SORRY!!

-Rae-chan

(Oh come on, you know you love it.)


	11. Chapter 11

**Well here I am for the 11th chapter. **

**-Braces self for the well-deserved punches and kicks and rabid animals to be thrown my way- **

**Sorry for making you wait for it...**

**Drawing closer to the big finish, much like most of my fanfics. Pretty soon I'll have to start up new long chaptered stories to entertain you all, ne?**

**But where oh _where_ will I get the ideas?**

**hmmmmm.**

**lol, truth be told, i have a few ideas up my sleeve. That is to say, there is a new story I have been writing in my drafts account. Lets just say, I really, REALLY am enjoying writting it...**

**kukukukukukuku... **

**Enjoy chapter 11, fellow fangirls (and...boys?? o-o) **

* * *

"Oh? Is that him?! After such a long time?!" 

_...Nnngh...?_

"It is! It is! Naruto-chan, your so big now!

_Something... I hear something... 'M tired... trying to sleep..._

"Eto... I'm sorry. I can't remember you're names..."

_Ah... Naruto's voice... but I'm tired..._

"I'm Itachi, Sasuke's older brother. You remember Kakashi?"

_Kakashi... Oniisan... why are you in my dream...? This feels... familiar..._

"Un... I remember you... But... who are _you, _ousan?"

_It's too early... what time is it.._

"Ah, I'm Umino Iruka, Kakashi's... friend."

_Now Iruka is in my dream... but I'm still tired, I want to continue sleeping..._

"Ah, yet again, Otouto is quite the snuggler. But I suppose he cant help but be tired. You two must not have had time to sleep-"

"Get the _fuck _out of my room Itachi!!"

Sasuke awoke in such a nostalgic manner, that he shocked himself out of glaring at his elder brother. Itachi, Kakashi, and Kakashi's lover Iruka all sat on the floor surrounding a perplexed looking blond teenager. Sasuke soon noticed that for some odd reason, he too was sitting on the floor. And more importantly, his back and neck were throbbing with a strong pain. He winced as he tried to sit up into a different position.

"If you're in pain its your own fualt. Sleeping on the floor like that, what a stupid man you are. And whats worse, you made Naruto-kun sleep there with you, holding onto him so tightly, giving the poor boy no escape." Itachi berated his annoyed little brother, while pulling the young blond into his arms, carressing his scarred cheek. Naruto blinked, cocking his head to the side, looking a little bit like a girl playing dress-up in her mother's kimono. Sasuke groaned and stood up, using the bed frame as levrage.

"Sasuke! Good morning!" Iruka greeted, his gental brown eyes closing in a pleasent smile. Sasuke grunted, noting that Naruto was staring up at Iruka with a small smile. Inwardly the younger Uchiha smirked. Iruka was a kind man, and though Sasuke had no idea how he and Kakashi managed to come together, was glad that they had. Iruka was an elementary school teacher, and had a way of making small children absolutely adore him, so it would be no surprise that Naruto was already probably fond of the older man.

Though Sasuke did feel a slight twinge in his gut that he would deny as to being jealousy.

"What time is it...?" he asked to anyone with the answer, running a large pale hand through his raven spikes before tugging a shirt on tiredly.

"It's 11:45 a.m, I called your office and informed your secretary that you wouldn't be in today. She sounded disapointed." Itachi supplied, smirking at his younger brother's twitch. Naruto turned his head slightly.

"A secretary...?" he questioned. Sasuke had to withhold himself from gathering up the blond in his arms and ravish him for being far too cute for his own good. Kakashi, however, had little inhabitions, and began ranting while squeezing Naruto's breath away. Iruka just laughed nervousely and tryed to pry loose his lover's grip, for Naruto seemed to be suffering.

"A secretary, Naruto-kun. A woman who does Sasuke's schedueling and paperwork. But really she'd want a different job serving under Sasuke more... _directly._" Itachi drawled, but as quick as his smirk came from his joke, it fadded. Sasuke too, glared at his brother's lack of tact.

Naruto was staring at the ground.

After all, for god knows how long the very boy himself had been subjected to 'serving under' countless 'employers'.

Iruka looked back and forth between the sudden awkward faces, not understanding what the situation was.

"Eh? Did something happen? Whats wrong?" He ventured. Sasuke glanced at Kakashi who shook his head slightly. A signal that Sasuke understood; Iruka was too soft a soul and too sensitive a man to handle the news. He didn't know the details on just how Sasuke had come to acquire Uzumaki Naruto.

"Mou, it's nothing Umino-san. Teach me how to read that clock? Please?" Naruto smiled quickly tugging the man's arm and pointing towards the clock on the wall. Iruka, caught up in Naruto's very deep blue eyes, forgot about the previouse awkwardness and imediately began teaching the blond how to count by fives with the minute hand.

Meanwhile, Sasuke, Itachi, and Kakashi were talking amongst themselves. The youngest among their group barely containing his rage.

"What the _fuck _Itachi?!" he snarled in a hushed tone. The elder Uchiha nodded.

"I had forgotten that being older, he might get the meaning behind... certian jokes.."

Kakashi fixed the one eye that wasn't covered with a medical eyepatch on the teenager across the room.

"He hasn't changed very much, has he? Aside from growing a bit vertical-wise. And he's not as marked up as before." the silver haired man stated. Sasuke shuddered internaly.

"The fuckers who were... selling him, had said he'd been on medical leave for the two weeks before.I'm sure any marks on him had faded in that time." He informed them. Then he recalled how he had come about the information to retrieve Naruto in the first place. His eyes became hardened and fixed on his older replica.

"Itachi." he hissed,pulling his brother farther away from the blond lest they be overheard. Itachi raised an eyebrow at Sasuke's brashness. It was always rare to see him in such form.

"Shouldn't you be preparing breakfast for-"

"First things first, Niisan. How did you know where Naruto was?" Sasuke cut Itachi off, his face serious. Itachi's eyes darkened.

"It was his name. 'Uzumaki'." the elder of the two stated. Sasuke frowned.

:"What about it?"

Itachi sighed.

"Of course it wouldn't sound familiar to you, you were only fourteen at the time, and were always locked up in your room or at school, brooding." he said, allowing a slight mist of nostalgia to fall upon the two. Sasuke blinked.

:"Whats this got to do with anything?" he demanded. Itachi gazed out the window.

"I had been trying to run Father's business, and had been working with... an associate. He had kept mentioning a certian name. A family. I had never thought much of it, He was a strange man, however upsetting the irony."

Sasuke furrowed his elegant eyebrows.

"An associate? You had help from someone other then Kakashi?" he asked. Itachi nodded.

"Kakashi was usually there to help you with your studies, don't you remember? I, at first, required small doses of insight into business manners and such, as I hadn't really been around the office much when Father and Mother were alive. Father had always meant to teach me about it, but that plan fell short and then he and mo-"

"Oniisan. Get to the point."

Itachi cleared his throat.

"Don't interrupt me, brat, I was getting there. Anyway, like I was saying. My teacher, as I had reffered to him, was... no stranger to our family matters. However, he seemed to focus on a small business outside the Uchiha corporation. I believe it was some sort of publishing company, either way it was not even worthy to be a blip on Our company's radar. Yet my teacher seemed obsessed with it. Not so much the company, but the man who ran it. A Namikaze Minato."

Sasuke's mind raced. A publishing company? Namikaze Minato? Itachi's teacher? What did _any _of this have to do with Naruto?!

"Itachi, how-?!"

"Uzumaki Kushina."

Two words made Sasuke bite his tongue. 'Uzumaki', like Naruto. 'Kushina', though, was a name he had never heard.

"Uzumaki Kushina..?" Sasuke said the name slowly. Itachi nodded.

"Apparently she was the wife of Namikaze Minato. My teacher mentioned both of these people quite often. He spoke even more often of the son the two had together."

And suddenly Sasuke didn't think this conversation was just going nowhere.

"...Then... that was Naruto?! You're teacher told you about Naruto?!" He whispered excitedly, amazed at the coincidences. Itachi looked at his brother, and shook his head.

"No. He never said the name of the boy. He mostly spoke ill of the parents. It had struck me as odd, at the time, how obsessed with the child he seemed. He said Namikaze-san and Uzumaki-san didn't 'deserve' him. That he could provide for him much better, that if it were up to him, others would be able to see how beautiful the child was, and appreciate him more then his mother and father ever would. I had ignored it at the time. It had nothing to do with me so I filed it away as unimportant."

Sasuke felt a tightening in the pit of his stomach. It seemed like there was something Itachi was leaving out. Something that Sasuke knew, yet didn't at the same time. He closed his eyes, tightening them.

Who.

Who had been Itachi's business teacher back then...?

"Itachi-niisan... Who was your teacher?" his voice was slow, controled. Itachi resumed looking out the window.

"Sasuke... you must realize that we are not responsible for his actions just because we share the same name..."

Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Itachi! What the fuck?! Who the fuck was he?!" he grabbed the front of his brother's shirt, drawing the attention of certian other room occupants. Blue eyes drifted.

" Our father's brother. Our Uncle. You remember his name...Sasuke...?" Itachi said it quiet enough, but the words blared loudly in Sasuke's ears. His grip on the shirt slackened.

A pale, smirking face. Long spikes of raven black hair. Charcoal black eyes that laughed at the situation as velvet red curtians closed.

"...Uchiha... Madara...?" Sasuke breathed. The room was still.

"Oh? Madara-sama...?" Naruto's voice just about echoed around the room, filling Sasuke's brain and bringing him to actuality with a sickening shudder.

It had been one of his own family that had not only sold him Naruto, but had put Naruto in the position to be sold. There was no question about it, the man who Sasuke had seen that night was the same man who Itachi had supplied. Naruto had confirmed the n

Dear old Uncle Madara. The man who's blood ran in Sasuke's veins.

_...My blood..._

"This... this is all my fault..." the younger man whispered. Itachi scoffed.

"The fact that it is indeed our blood relation has little to do with your own actions, Otouto. Further more, you were only a teenager at the time and more then likely couldn't do anything anyway.

You know your faults, as does Kakashi, Naruto, and myself. All you should be focusing on at the current moment is how you plan to remedy the situation." Itachi's voice was cool and uninterested, yet there was a flicker of something deep and not quite understandable in his eyes. Sasuke wouldn't admit his brother to be a kind man, though he distantly knew it to be true. There was too much evidence to support it.

"Eto, I'm not sure I understand, whats going on? Who is Madar-AH!"

Iruka's question was cut off as the man's silver-haired lover swooped in upon him and pulled him from the waist into a broad chest. Kakashi bent down a little and kissed the brunette man's blushing cheek, a distraction of sorts. Naruto looked over at the two and smiled, his eyes closed in happy arks.

Sasuke sighed, running a large pale hand through his hair, his frustraition spiking.

"Enough of this, lets eat something. Sasuke-tan, you got any food here?" Kakashi spoke from his position on Iruka's shoulder. Said man shook his head.

"Not enough for guests. Naruto, you feel like going out to eat? We can talk about things in a private room of any restuant you'd like." Sasuke offered the blond. Naruto turned and blinked, his fingers moving to his lips.

"I'm not really sure about foods. I usually ate instant ramen all the time. But its okay, I like it." he replied with a smile. Three sets of dark eyes fixed on the boy. Naruto was quickly pulled into the wide open arms of Itachi.

"Oh Naruto, your sodium levels must be through the roof, poor little thing. No wonder your growth was stunted." the elder Uchiha snapped his fingers at his younger sibling. "Sasuke, we'll take him to Yokohama, the place we were last night. Its not raining today, so the piers might be open. He could see the boardwalk and eat wagashi."

Sasuke rubbed his temples, ready to argue against it, thinking something like that would draw unwanted excitement. However, an image appeared in his head of Naruto along the beach, the sun dazzling blue overhead...

"Fine. But its annoying with everyone..." Sasuke snapped, his face heating up as he rummaging through his cloths to find replacements for Naruto. He was pissed, acting like a schoolgirl and having exagerated images like that float through his brain.

"We're coming, we're coming! I want to ride the ferris wheel and eat at a Soba shop too!" Kakashi shouted in a sing-song voice, dancing around the room with Iruka. Sasuke felt sick at the 'cuddly atmosphere'. He sighed in his annoyance. Why couldn't Itachi have given him at least a day to prepare before he went and got Naruto? Why couldn't he have waited just-

No.

Sasuke knew that even if he had known a day in advance, a week, a month; he would have gone to retrieve Naruto imeadiately following the moment he had the information in his head. The little blond boy owned all of Sasuke's senses now.

He saw Naruto in everything he did. He smelt the citrus of Naruto's skin. He couldn't get the boy's taste from his lips. He could recall the smooth expanse of that silken tan flesh under his fingers, and even now, Naruto's voice soothed his torrid thoughts.

"Lets go. We can go to the private beach. But afterwards we're going to do something about Naruto's... future living situation. " Sasuke's lips turned upwards at the corners. All eyes were on the young man, the more intense signs of recognition were directed from Itachi and Kakashi. Naruto smiled happily, his blue eyes closing, his expression peaceful.

* * *

Dark eyes dialated, fury rushing through every fiber of the black haired man's being. The computer screen in front of him was black, inactive. Blocky digital lettering glowed apon the glassy surface, the white letters contrasting sharply. 

'**The fox has been liberated.**

**search no more for that which you cannot obtain.**

**we will fight with our true capacity.**

**What a careless wolf you have been, uncle.**

**How long until your world fades, and all that is left is darkness? **

**-U.I**

There was a blip and the smell of smoke from the computer as it laid in its pile across the room. Madara clenched his fists upon his hardwood desk. Two men stood before him, surveying the damaged electronics.

"Now thats what I call business, un."

Madara slammed a fist down.

"Shut up! You'll go to Yokohama. Track them down. I don't care if you're there all damn day. That little _brat_... to think I taught him almost everything he knows!" he spat into the files under him. One man looked to the other.

"Yokohama, huh? You can't send Hidan and Kakuzu? They would need the sun alot more then I do, un."

the other man sighed.

"I would prefer it if I could do something that wouldn't take forever, Madara-sama. Esspecialy with a guy like _him_ being near me the entire time..."

Madara snarled fiercely at the two.

"You're going! Shut up! I've gotten angry now, so you'll go! You make damn sure that nothing happens to interfere with any of my plans!" he was shouting now, and the two men were silent. Madara's eyes were wide and staring. He brought a hand up to the black orbs, touching the skin around the lashes.

"Before it happens... before I'm consumed by the darkness..."

Pale lips turned upward into a deranged sort of smile. The two men winced, looking away.

"You get it back... you get me back my Light..!!"

**  
**

* * *

**Sorry about the long ass wait. **

**You know what I got?**

**CARPELTUNEL.**

**yeah. In both my hands. They're all braced up in these velcro strap glove thingies. Plus my left hand already has an inflamed tendon or whatever THAT means. All I know is that it hurts worse then... I dunno... imagine something that hurts. Its more painful then that.**

**Ita ita...**

**Thanks for waiting...!!(i should really update more frequently, but I have no energy lately.) How many of you skipped past the intro message? Those are important too ya know...**

**-dejected- **

**-Rae-chan **


	12. Chapter 12

**Heres chapter 12! For some odd reason I thought this would be the 16th chapter... Maybe, there will get to be that many, but I dont know, I'm not sure how many chapters are left till the end. That is to say, how many chapters it will take to fit in a sutable conclusion.**

**thank you all for your nice reviews, compliments that i hardly deserve, and support!**

**Please read the new chapter and enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: no own, no sue**

**Warnings: you know what to expect from me...**

* * *

Sasuke was told that his self control was a thing of admiration. That his pose and ability to stay cool and collect just added onto his suave persona. And to be honest, there was no occasions when such a thing was to be challenged. In fact, the only ones who could ever rile the stoic businessman was his entrepreneur of an elder brother. 

So then, it would come as a shock to most who knew these things of Uchiha Sasuke to see the very man whose 'suave persona' was being tested in a small soba shop near the piers of Yokohama bay.

By a blond eating wagashi in a manner that was so adorable it should be a serious crime.

"Mou, you like it Naruto-kun? You can have more if you'd like, we can stop by that store again." Itachi asked concentrated Naruto from his seat beside the boy. Naruto, who was hard at work trying to eat the sugary sweet while preserving the delicate design of a Sakura blossom at the center, took his pink tounge away from the treat to gaze up at the older man.

"I couldn't possibly eat another one of these! Its so pretty... Pretty things should be kept and cherished, not eaten and taken away so fast! I don't want to waste something so pretty..."

Sasuke stared at him, and found himself agreeing vehemently. And Naruto, as pretty as he was eating something so delicate, should at that moment be considered a cannibal.

"Sasuke. We still have lots of daylight left, and it should be getting hotter later on today, so lets go down to that strip of beach. You can show Naruto-kun the tide pools." Itachi voiced, much to Sasuke's disdain. It was bad enough from the younger Uchiha's point of view to have Itachi there at all, but an Itachi at the beach of all places meant _someone_ was either getting a handfull of sand down their shorts, or _someone_ was getting pushed into a less-then-forgiving wave.

Itachi had always liked his dear little brother to be that special someone.

"Tide pools, Itachi-sa--, eh, Itachi-nii?" Naruto asked, his head tilted. Said man nodded.

"Thats right. They're little homes in the rocks along the shore where small sea creatures live. Anenomes, starfish, crabs-"

"and frogs?!" Naruto interupted, his eyes lighting up along with an excited smile. Itachi looked over at Sasuke, and they shared a look of amusment.

"...No, not frogs Naruto, not at a beach. Frogs are mostly freshwater animals, you would find them in creeks or lakes, places like those where the waters not so violent." Sasuke informned the boy. Naruto looked a bit disapointed, but smiled anyway.

"I've never seen things like that, but I got to touch a frog once. I like them, and Madara-sama told me they're found near water, so I guess I just assumed... they would... be in the ocean..." he trailed off blushing bright red in embarrassment. Sasuke scowled at the mention of his Uncle, not caring for that reminder one bit.

He would not allow Naruto to return to that man.

"I'll take you to our private cabin by Chuzenji. Thats a lake thats in Nikko National park, but since the Uchiha family provided major donations a few years back, the comity allowed my family to build a small place there.You can look for frogs all you want, stay out late and catch a cold for all I care. We'll go next week." Sasuke said it with a definate air of cerianty. Naruto's look of surprise quickly morphed into a disparing sort of sadness.

"But... Sasuke-sama... you only have me for one wee-"

"I said we'll go, so we'll go. I'm Uchiha Sasuke, I don't sit around in my free time lying to teenagers."Sasuke interrupted the other before Naruto could say those things that made Sasuke's chest ache terribly.

Naruto studied the dark haired man for a moment, noting the steadfast determination in his onyx eyes, the way his lips were set in a thin line, his closed fist locked in his other hand, pressed against his chin. Surely it was this face that the young billionair would stare down his opposition with. Surely, it was _this _face, _this _man who would, in the end, save him from the harshness of the world.

But... Madara was not like Sasuke. He was not a man who enjoyed feeling any sort of weakness in himself. So if Sasuke did intend to keep true to those beautiful words of his, then he would have to fight quite hard.

Naruto sighed.

_Rule #1: The Customer is always right. Whatever he wants, he gets. Whatever he requests, you acquiesce. The customer is always right._

"Hai Sasuke-sama... we'll go next week." Naruto said with a smile that a kingergarten teacher would give an over-imaginative student. Sasuke frowned a bit, but nodded, pleased that his point got across.

There was a sudden shuddering that rattled the table as a very enthused looking Kakashi flounced over, dragging along Iruka by thier entwined fingers. Naruto was quick to study the gesture, cocking his head a bit, but filing it away for later observation.

"You three have been hogging Naruto-chan, learn to share!" Kakashi pouted (or rather, one could only assume he had, from the medical mask that covered his lower face). Sasuke twitched as Itachi loudly proclaimed that the confused looking Naruto had already been claimed Uchiha property. This of course was a complete joke, and was meant in good spirit, but still had Sasuke fidgit uncomfortably as the group moved out of the small soba shop and made their way down to the private strip of shoreline that was for their private uses.

Naruto's big blue eyes lit up far brighter (if it was possible) when he set eyes on ocean. The sea breeze tugged soflty at his white cotton button-down shirt and the tan shorts that went a little above his knees. The ever-ready pair of Itachi and Kakashi had brought cloths for Naruto, and Sasuke had to talk them down from the blue floral sundress option.

"Mou, Naruto-kun, you want to walk with me along the water? The tide pools, they're right up there." Iruka smiled kindly down at the teenager and pointed of at a cluster of boulder-like rocks where the waves crashed gently. Sasuke's eyes narrowed a fraction, and he would refuse to admit to being upset he had not asked first.

"Oh no you don't Iruka-koi, you're going to come with me on a romantic stroll along the beach!" Kakashi swooped in an began tugging a blushing Iruka away, the school teacher shouting about 'its only romantic if its sunset'. Naruto looked after them a little dissapointed, tugging at the buttons on his shirt. Itachi smirked a little glancing from Sasuke to Naruto, and offered the younger boy his hand.

"Naruto-kun, we can go togeth-"

"Come on, dobe." Sasuke pulled Naruto along by his hand before Itachi was able to finish, the older man staring after them witha sort of self-satisfaction before turning on his heel and strolling along after Kakashi and his soft-hearted lover.

-

Naruto could feel a warmth spreading through his hand where Sasuke's held on with his own much larger hand. Blue eyes flashed and Naruto smiled just a little, daringly wrapping his thin fingers around Sasuke's. He could feel the older man twitch slightly, and yet Naruto wanted to hold on just a little longer.

While the two walked, the foam from the passing waves licked at Naruto's bare feet, his borrowed flip-flopps clutched in his other hand. It was something far above fantastic to the blonde, being there, at that moment. Having the warmth of Sasuke -who he would glance at every other breath- seeping through his hand, into his chest and throughout his entire body. And maybe Sasuke felt the same strange thing, that odd warmth that was so, _so_ pleasent.

"Watch out Naruto, we're going up on those rocks now. Be careful." Sasuke spoke up, begining to step up on the rough black rock.

Naruto smiled and nodded, eager to see the creatures Itachi had spoken of. He followed Sasuke's steps with carefull precision, making sure to keep his balance lest he fall off and embarras himself . And then, he saw it. A small creature, its reddish color standing out from the black rock and greenish-brown seaweed. It was skuttlling sideways accross the wet mossy stone, flexig large pincers that were posed at its front.

Naruto bit his lip to keep in a scream (that no one would be able to hear anyway) as he pulled himself into Sasuke's broad back. The older man looked down with a questioning 'hm'.

"That, what is that thing!?" Naruto asked, manuevering himself further out of the small things way. Sasuke's lips quirked upwad in amusment.

"'_Kani_'; a crab. As long as you dont hurt them, they're harmless." Sasuke gestured towards a small puddle that circulated with a new batch of sea-water each time a wave sept over it. Naruto nervously crouched down and inspected the place, eyes widening in amazement at the veriaty of small creatures he'd never seen before.

Sasuke patiently told Naruto the name of every creature, and, like an encyclopedia, informed him of the animal's different aspects. The younger of the two was absoltely amazed by things that seemed so simple to Sasuke, things that he had forgotten he had learned so long ago, back in grade school.

Back when his parents had told him the same things he was telling Naruto...

Big blue eyes stared up at Sasuke's frozen face when the older man had been silent for a moment.

"Sasuke-sama?" the blond inquired.

Just as Sasuke was broken out of his thoughts, a sudden and particularily violent wave crashed, sending Naruto tumbling off his haunches and into Sasuke's knees. The two fell, Sasuke cushioning the fall into sopping wet sand as Naruto fell on top of his abdomen.

"God damn it!" Sasuke cursed, already feeling that annoying scratch of sand that was innevitably making its way into the most uncomfortable places on the human body it could get. Naruto murmered something groggily, shifting himself so he was propped up on Sasuke's strong chest. It was at that moment that Sasuke's breath caught in an oh-so familiar way taht could only happen when Naruto was involved.

Naruto, there, laying on top of him so light a load to carry, blinked clear his larg, impossibly blue eyes. That damn sea breez came at such a convieniant time and pushed golden blond spikes of hair across the younger boy's forehead and over those beautiful eyes. Sasuke felt himself lifting his hand, brushing that soft hair away and tracing the thin scars that lined Naruto's cheeks.

"_Naruto..._ "

If he could, Sasuke would have kicked himself at the scene he was taking part in. This was the type of situation romance novel authors would drool over, and here he was being the star. But he just couldn't help it. Naruto was younger then him, had been through traumatizing experiances, was a boy, was younger then him, had been hurt repeatedly, was younger then him, and heaven knows what else.

Yet the innocense he posessed was drowning Sasuke, pulling him in deeper and deeper, and he couldn't escape.

He didn't want to escape. Not from this. Not from Naruto.

Sasuke pulled himself up on his elbows, not really caring htat the sand was sticking to his thin black button down shirt, and he gently pressed his lips against Naruto's. Though Sasuke couldn't see Naruto's wide eyes dialate in surprise due to closing his own, he continued on partaking so slowly of that wich he had so sought after.

And Naruto, though he had been kissed thousands of times in many different fashions, leaned in slightly to feel a kiss he had never experianced before. It was not a customer's bruising, forcefull lip-lock, and it was not Madara's smothering kiss that the man had said meant Naruto belonged to him.

_This _kiss, this kiss was Sasuke's.

And Naruto knew that it might be selffish, that he was a terrible person for it, but he had never wanted more of anything in his entire life.

Sasuke... he wanted more of Uchiha Sasuke.

So just like the older man, whos lips were so soft against his and his hands so warm and comforting as they entwined in his hair, he would fight too. Naruto decided, for himself, in only this one time, that he would fight for his freedome, as long as that meant he could live it being with Sasuke.

* * *

A man with curled spikes of rusty red hair eyed the small, far away figures through the pair of binoculars clutched in his hands. Beside him, obnoxious sounds of soda being sucked through ice with a straw were issuing from another man, his long blond hair tied half into a pony-tail and a thick parted bang covering his blue-grey eye. 

"Deidara... stop it. Thats annoying. We're supposed to be working." The red haired man snapped at the blond. Deidara frowned in a childish manner.

"I'm bored, un. Theres nothing exciting in this. No car chases, no explosions. How can _you_ be okay with this, Sasori-danna? You hate waiting and watching, un." he said airidly, waving his cup of soda in Sasori's direction. The man's brown eyes driffted slowly towards his partner.

"Thasts true, but it can't be helped. Madara-sama ordered us to make sure that Uchiha Sasuke doesn't try anything." Sasori said. Deidara groaned.

"That Madara-sama... you'd think he'd just keep Naruto-kun to himself. It's so much less trouble, un." he said. Sasori sighed and leaned back, laying the binoculars on the bench the two sat on.

"He's obsessed over that boy. Ever since he saw him as an infant. Madara has a complex over Naruto-kun." the older of the two said. Deidara made a face, and took a loud empty drink from his depleting soda.

"Thats kinda gross, un. I could understand diggin' the kid when hes at this age, he pretty cute, un. But when he was a little, little kid? It's pretty gross." the blond man stated, taking up the binoculars and pearing through. Sasori shrugged.

"To each his own. What are they doing?" He asked. Deidara chuckled a bit.

"Smooching." he drawled. Sasori raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Deidara laughed and handed over the binoculars. Sasori frowned a bit and nodded.

"They're certiantly becoming close. Most of the customers who purchase Kyuubi use him at night, and don't treat him so gently." he said. Deidara rummaged around in his pockets, pulling out a small business card.

"This is Uchiha Sasuke's presonal information that Madara-sama found out, un. Should we go tonight?" he asked Sasori, scooting in close to the man and resting his head on his shoulder. Sasori, used to the slightly younger man's affection, considered this.

"We should remain stationary at this point, track them for a bit longer before acting. Deffinately no direct confrontation. We'll take him back soon enough. I hate waiting anyway, so sooner the better." he replied finaly. Deidara nodded and tucked the card into his partner's dress shirt's front pocket.

"I kinda like the idea Sasori-danna. Breaking into people's houses at night while their sleeping and stealing the things they think are perfectly safe. It's a rush." the blue eyed man said, grinning. Sasori sighed again.

"Everything fast-pace gives you a rush. How unartistic."

Deidara's laguh was cut off by Sasori's lips, and for a moment, the two forgot thier assignment.

* * *

**Mou, the next chapter will be longer, I should hope. I think I'm starting to average about 2000 word count per chapter, which I'm not quite happy with.**

**My manga-editor looked this over and said, "Are you telling a story or teaching them japanese geography and translation?"**

**So I hit him in the junk. Then his boyfriend got mad and yelled "Hey! I use that too!"**

**bahahaha, thought I'd share that.**

**Well, this took me a few days to write, and I finished it today ina few hours and wouldn't let myself do anything else till I had it completed. And once I finish posting this, I'm going to resume work on the final chapter of 'Dare' and the 2ed chapter of 'Sasuke-sensei'**

**I've got alot on my plate!**

**thank you for reading and if your going to review, thank you for that too.**

**rhym...**

**-Rae-chan**


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm kinda groggy today. Maybe I'm getting a cold... though i guess it wont matter, since on the 15th of this month of April, Im getting my tonsils cut out.  
**

**A long wait, right? Im sorry... but, heres chapter 13. What a lucky numbered chapter!**

**I wont waste anymore of your time. Get to reading, you stud-muffins.**

* * *

As they walked back along the beach, Sasuke and Naruto stood close to one another.

Naruto was listening to Sasuke as the older man told him about how he grew up, what Itachi was like as a younger boy, and other such things, with genuine interest. He laughed when Sasuke told a joke or accidentally revealed embarrassing information about himself, and he pouted when Sasuke 'playfully' pushed him into oncoming sheets of cold ocean water that soaked his ankles.

But most of all, Naruto smiled because Sasuke smiled.

"Are you hungry Naruto?" the dark haired man inquired. Naruto shook his head.

"No, but..." he was cut off by his own yawn, instinctive tears building behind closed blue eyes. Sasuke's smiled grew softer still, as he wrapped his arm around thin shoulders, an act of gentleness that seemed foreign.

"You're tired. I'd imagine you would be, I'm not sure how often you get out and walk as much as you have today. But, we can meet back up with Nii-san and the other two and then we'll head back home." he said. Naruto tilted his head up, staring at the man who seemingly toward above him.

"Home?"

Sasuke faltered in his step slightly, recalling other such instances that word was said by Naruto.

"Yes, home."

* * *

By the time they had left Yokohama, Naruto was already asleep in the safety of the limousine, his head resting in Iruka's lap, the brunette man absently stroking his soft spikes.

Sasuke tried not to look over at the pair too much, but he felt his fingers twitch against his will towards the opposite seat.

"Sasuke, have you given any thought as to what your plans are with Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked, staring out the window at the tall buildings rushing by. The younger of the two Uchiha took his gaze away from the sleeping blond to fix it on his brother.

"Not really." he answered. And that was true.

Aside from cursing Madara to the fiery pits of hell, Sasuke hadn't really done much of anything in the way of his planned rescue. Admittedly, he figured that he'd just hang on to Naruto forever and if anyone came to collect the boy, he'd kill them.

That included blood relations.

"Sasuke-kun... are you in some sort of trouble? Is Naruto-kun in some sort of trouble?" Iruka asked, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb the slumbering boy in his lap. Sasuke looked over at the teacher, and managed to give reassuring smile (or what he hoped didn't look like a smirk or frown).

"Its nothing you should worry over Iruka. I'll make sure that no matter what, Naruto will not bear any more burdens." he said.

Iruka frowned, his hand covering Naruto's silken hair, no longer running through the gentle spikes, but resting over it in a parental manner. Sasuke stared at the peaceful whisker-scarred face from the corner of his eye for the remainder of the drive.

He meant what he said. Nothing would separate he and Naruto again. Especially not acts done by his own will.

-

Itachi offered Sasuke the option to stay over at the large penthouse he had purchased in central Tokyo, thinking that it would be safer for Naruto. Sasuke of course, felt a twinge of suspicion at his elder brothers ulterior motives (though Itachi's advances on Naruto were empty in reality), and so he rejected the idea entirely. Itachi requested, that at the very least, he stay with the pair until they safely arrived at Sasuke's house.

Iruka went ahead of the younger Uchiha, carrying the still deeply sleeping blond up to Sasuke's room, Kakashi tagging along. Right about when Sasuke's foot touched the porch, a large pale hand gripped firmly onto his shoulder. Itachi stared past Sasuke, along the path to where Naruto was being put to bed. He didn't look at his younger brother.

"He might try something, Otouto. He might send someone..."

Sasuke knew who his brother was addressing. His hands twitched.

"He won't get him back, Nii-san." his voice was steadfast, and yet Itachi didn't seem reassured.

"As relieved as I am that you seem to want to hang on to that boy this time around, the fact of the matter still remains. Madara is not a stupid man, and he isn't well. The combination of insanity and genius is more then deadly, Sasuke." the elder of the two said. Sasuke nodded solemnly, knowing that this was probably the most accurate thing he'd heard all day.

"Itachi-kun! We can go now. Naruto-kun is asleep upstairs in Sasuke-kun's bed." Iruka suddenly came int the foyer, Kakashi permanently affixed behind him. Itachi nodded and the pair of lovers bid farewell to Sasuke as they went back to the limousine. Itachi gave almost an uncatchable sigh, that it would almost be just a heavy breath, and made to turn around.

"Nii-san..."

He paused and looked back over his shoulder. Sasuke's back was to him, the young man's hand on the door.

"He wont get him back."

The door slid gently shut, leaving Itachi to give his slightest upward curve of his lips to no one. He flipped his pony tail back over his shoulder and went back to the car. Overhead, the sun was setting from orange, to blood red and purple, until the hues gradually faded into the dark star pricked pattern of night.

-

Sasuke was at a loss.

He, at first, was more then perfectly satisfied with just sitting beside the bed Naruto was sleeping in so soundly (his bed, to be specific), but now he was growing more and more tired.

He wanted nothing more then to strip down to his boxers and crawl under the blankets right along side the gorgeous concubine. This, of course, is a limitation that _wanting _presents. He _wanted _to do this, but he knew he _shouldn't_.

"Damnit... what kind of person are you, doing something like this to Uchiha Sasuke's self control?" Sasuke asked the unresponsive Naruto. The dark eyed man chuckled silently to himself, standing up from his chair.

Even if he didn't like the idea after what had taken place the previous night, Sasuke knew he couldn't go sleep on the couch, and had to be close to the boy. So he silently undressed and changed into his sweatpants and a tank top (he didn't know if it would be good to have himself in nothing but underware if Itachi and the others came to visit early again).

He quietly maneuvered himself into bed beside the younger boy, taking care not to wake him. Gradually, the tense air that Sasuke had forced upon himself (for Naruto's protection) slowly eased as he listened and felt the soft breaths that passed from Naruto's slightly parted lips.

Sasuke let out a deep breath, his eyes closing and arms (knowingly) wrapping around the small, warm body beside him. When it got down to it, Sasuke didn't care about his self control, didn't care about what his elder brother thought, or how it was considered 'wrong'.

He had Naruto.

--

It was a cold, steeled voice that woke Sasuke from his overly comfortable sleep. He planned on passing over it, thinking it was just yet another morning he'd be waking up with a visit from Itachi. But, something was defiantly off.

He could tell even behind closed eyelids that there was no morning sun shining into the room. It was still dark, night time was still hanging over Tokyo. And now, due to his curiosity waking him further, he became more aware that there was a distinct struggling going on next to him, before the bed suddenly became lighter on his right side.

"Nnn... Naruto" he muttered, moving to sit up. Something stopped him. Something cold, hard, something that smelt of metal. Something steel. And so, slowly, the young Uchiha opened his eyes.

A red headed man was holding the business end of a handgun straight to his forehead.

"Ah, he woke up either way. Naruto-kun, you moved around too much, un." a man standing beside the red haired man drawled out lazily. Sasuke's eyes shot open.

"Naruto?!" It took only a second to find the boy, locked in the arms of the older blond man, his eyes filling with tears and hands clawing desperately in futility to escape. His eyes franticly darted back and forth between Sasuke, the gun, and the man holding it.

"S-Sasori-sama, don't kill him! Don't hurt him, please!" he pleaded. Sasuke felt tremors course through his body, the cause so many things. There was a gun being pointed at his skull, and he knew that at any moment, that trigger could be pulled...

And he wouldn't be able to protect Naruto.

"Uchiha Sasuke. Killing you is not necessarily required for this job we were given. Our only order was to reclaim Naruto-kun." Sasori said in his calm and unremitting, his dark eyes just cold as the weapon clutched in his hand. Sasuke's breathing was fast, his heart throbbed in his ears.

These men meant to take Naruto. They were here to take him away, and give him back to that man. That Madara.

"I wont let you take him..." Sasuke whispered through clenched teeth, his hands fisting the sheets. Deidara chuckled.

"Really? But you were so eager to get him out of your sight the last time you had him, un. So just sit there and be quiet. Thats something your good at doing anyway, un." the man said with a sick sort of amusement in his voice, pulling Naruto closer to his chest. The smaller blond whimpered, continued to keep his gaze upon the gun.

"We've stalled long enough. Uchiha-san, if you attempt to come after us, you'll only make things worse for Naruto-kun." Sasori's eyes flickered to Deidara, and a silent message was passed as the grey eyed man gave a quirked smile and began pulling Naruto out of the room. Sasori kept his gun pointed at the paralyzed Sasuke as he back out in his partners wake.

Sasuke followed him with his eyes, narrowed into a overly deadly glare, promising more pain then a human being other then an Uchiha was capable of delivering. A droplet of sweat rolled down Sasori's cheek, just as he past the thresh hold of the doorway.

Sasuke wasted little time.

He cleared the distance between himself and the door in few rushed steps. He kicked opent he door and immeadiately had to duck back as a shot was fired into the wall just feet from his head. Dry wall dust ploomed into the air, and witht he gun shot still reverberating in his ears, Sasuke could hear shouting.

"What the fuck Sasori-danna?! Did you kill him?!" Deidara's voice was loud, and yet fait, and the Uchiha guaged that the man was probably about halfway down the stairs.

"Hit the wall. Get the boy out to the car now, Deidara." Sasori answered, and his boots thudded through the hall. Sasuke grinted his teeth and threw himself from the doorway. He kept his body low as he ran, pulse throbbing wildly as more shots rang off, hitting the wall and floor.

And even still, he heard Naruto pleading in as loud a voice as the boy was able to create.

"Stop! No! Don't hurt him! Don't hurt him!" Naruto's voice cracked if its volume rose too loudly, his vocal chords restricting him into silence. Sasuke's chest constricted tightly.

_Naruto!_

"Uchiha! If you keep this up I'll shoot you in your _fucking_ head!" Sasori sounded more then angry. Obviousely he was the type of man who liked clean business. In and out, that was that type of man's way of doing things.

Sasuke would not obliged to his preferences.

He pulled himself from the wall, throwing his body foreward. He colided with another; hard, soft.

"_Fuck_!"

Rage consumed Sasuke's actions as he threw as many punches as he could towards Sasori's cheek, his other hand wrestling to keep the weapon from firing.

"Sasori-danna!!" Deidara came running into view, his elbow locked tightly around Naruto's neck, and his eyes fixated on his partner. Naruto continues to claw at his captor's arm, but couldn't seem to phase him. Sasori kicked upward, his knee striking Sasuke in the gut, sending him into the wall, wheezing.

"Deidara! The car! Go, now! I mean it! I'll ki-" Sasori was cut off as Sasuke took that opertunity to tackle him from behind sending them both toppling to the floor in a crash. Deidara bit his lip, but nodded.

"Hurry up, Sasori-danna, un!" he shouted, dragging Naruto back down the stairs. Sasuke's head shot up, and he made a move to get up and run after him, but Sasori grabbed his leg, successfully tripping him. The Uchiha grunted as he hit the floor once more, gritting his teeth and looking back as the red head aimed the gun. With a well placed kick, he slammed Sasori's face into the drywall. It was enough as a diversion, but not enough to make the offender drop his weapon.

"Naruto!" Sasuke cried out, making his way down the stairs. He could see Diedara just making it to the foyer before three deffening discharges filled the landing.

Pain flared upward from his thigh, coursing through his body like fire. Deidara, who had paused to see who had made it to the stairs, smirked upward.

"Nice shot, un!" he said with deep satisfaction as blood streamed downward from the large holes torn through Sasuke's leg. It was taking everything Sasuke had to keep off the floor, writhing from the pain. Naruto's eyes streamed endless tears, his voice completely gone from trying to scream as much as he had. His soft pink lips opened wordlessly as he tried to get to Sasuke's side.

The Uchiha clutched the banister, his body not willing to stand any longer, and he fell to his knees. The vibration sent waves of agony throughout his body, making him sick on it, and he gaged on his own saliva. Behind him, Sasori clutched his head, blood staining though on his fingers, as he staggered into view. Deidara's eyes widened.

"Sasori-danna!" he shouted, beginning to rush up the stairs, but his partner held up a hand.

"Get to the car, take that _thing _back to Madara! Go, Deidara!" he ordered. The blond man closed his eyes tightly, before giving a loud "Hai!" and dragged Naruto, who was moving heaven and earth to get free, but to no avail, out the door.

"_NO! FUCK!" _Sasuke bellowed, dragging himself by his hands in his attempt to get down the stairs and pursue them. His heart was beating faster then his blood could flow, blood that he was rapidly loosing through the wounds in his thigh. Sasori wobbled and stepped around him, beginning to stagger downt he stairs. Sasuke's head shot up.

"St-stop...! You f-fucker!! Don't take him...! You can't take him!!" he shouted, his voice cracking just as Naruto's had. Sasori looked back at him and bent to press the gun to his temple. Sasuke felt a wave of coldness wash over him.

"Under any other circumstances... I'd kill you. But I think you'd suffer more knowing that you let us get away... with that little blond slut." he whispered harshly. Sasuke's eyes were dilated pin-pricks of gray, a buildup of shimmering clear liquid was forming at the corners. His gaze fixated on Sasori's feet, which stood uneasily on the first few steps of the staircase.

"You fucker...!" Sasuke's hand shot out and grabbed the man's ankle, pulling harshly. Rusty brown eyes widened as the red head failed to clutch the banister, and clutched helplessly at empty space as he fell backwards. Sasuke gripped the hand rails, biting his lip to keep from screaming as he hoisted himself up.

He didn't have time to stare at Sasori's groaning and unmoving form at the bottom landing, he had to get to Naruto!

"Naruto! Naruto! I'm coming! Naruto!" he was chanting this to himself, as both a distraction from the pure agony that was his attempt at maneuvering down the stairs, and a promise to the blond.

But he could hear it...

Car doors slamming.

An engine starting.

Tires screeching as the car pulled away from his home, and off to a place that Sasuke did not know.

He quivered, his whole body. He felt faint, and knew it had little to do with the blood he was loosing rapidly. His mouth hung open, and he collapsed on the seventh step down, not caring that this action caused violent waves of pain to shoot through him. He didn't care.

He was in more pain then could ever be caused by anything physical.

"Nn...Naru...to...!" he cried out in a useless whisper.

* * *

Deidara slumped the unconsciouses blond off of his arm, rubbing his hand where he had struck the back of Naruto's neck to knock him out.

He sat in the back seat, glaring out the window and occasionally glaring at the boy. The driver, a plain looking man with short light green spikes of hair, glanced into the review mirror.

"Could you two have caused _more _of a scene? Gunshots aren't exactly inconspicuous you know..." he said, making a turn. Deidara turned his glare on him.

"Shut the fuck up, Zetsu. Nows not the time to be making fucking observations!" he snapped. Zetsu kept his eyes on the road.

"You loose your speech impediment when you're angry, and you sound like Hidan." he said in his monotone voice. Dierara bristled.

"Zetsu, shut the FUCK UP!" he shouted, kicking the back to the drivers seat. Zetsu swirved teh car, glaring intot he review mirror.

"Cut that out. Sasori will be fine!" he snapped, not at all in the reassuring voice that would normally come with a statement like that. Deidara pouted, turning his glare back to the slumped body in the seat next to him.

"All this trouble to retrieve a prostitute. If Madara-sama was so adament about hanging on to him, why bother auctioning him off at all, un? It makes no sense!" he said more to himself then the get-away driver. Zetsu's eyes flickered to the review mirror again.

"No one said that man was entirely sane. He does things that makes sense to him, and feels that it doesn't matter if anyone else understands. I suppose, the fact of the matter at hand is that he's decided Kyuubi-kun wont be for sale any longer." he stated. Deidara scoffed.

"Well I should fucking think so, un. After going to all this trouble, and having to leave behind Sasori-danna!" he whined in his seat, eyebrows scrunching up in his inner turmoil. Zetsu kept silent.

"Still... how should the both of us feel... about having a hand in this kind of business...?" Deidara asked in a low voice, his blue grey eyes looking at Naruto, who slept in his oversized T-shirt and boxers, his face red and puffy with dried tears. Zetsu kept his gaze straight ahead.

"People like us, Deidara, are paid not to think about it."

* * *

Naruto's eye brows scrunched, and he groaned.

His eyes stung and the lashes felt scratchy and irritating. His body hurt; his head and neck, hurt. His chest felt tight, like something cold was wrapped around his heart, constricting him. The sheets of Sasuke's bed were more silky then he remembered the soft cotton fabric being, and he couldn't feel that beautiful man's warm body pressed against his anymore...

"Sasuke-sama...?" he whispered, blinking his eyes open, smiling when he saw the blurry image of Sasuke's pale face, dark hair, and ebony eyes. He went to reach his hand out, to touch that so very handsome face, but found he couldn't.

While his vision swam in and out of focus, he became aware of a tight binding around his wrists and even his ankles. It was strange, he couldn't recall Sauske and he playing any of _those _kinds of games the night before...

"Naruto-chan... you're awake. My beautiful little fox..."

Blue eyes shot open.

That was not Sasuke's voice.

Naruto's blood ran cold as a pale hand ran down his shirt-less body, only to cause him to realize many things. One of which being, he was not wearing any cloths at all. The others, that he was not in Sasuke's room, that he was not in Sasuke's bed, nor his warm embrace, and lastly, that the dark eyes staring down at him, were not Sasuke's.

"Madara...sama..." his voice was small and terrified, the feeling intensifying in his heart as the older man above him gave a loving smile that spoke of dangers Naruto knew all too well.

"Naruto-chan... welcome home."

* * *

**Heh...**

**The next chapter... **

**I cant say when it will be out, but maybe really soon, considering I'm gonna have a lot of time on my hands, what with spring break here, then after that is my operation!**

**...**

**Ah, I'm really scared... I really hate pain, I try to avoid it at all costs...**

**well, thank you for reading this, and I hope the raging fires of fury you direct to me will maybe lessen in intensity and you will spare me mercy...**

**-braces self-**

**-Rae-chan**


	14. Chapter 14

**Prepare yourselves, readers.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

**Chapter 14**

**a very long chapter, due to guilt from lack of updating...**

* * *

_Thin, delicate hands were stretched out, at the ready to grant their promise of a safe harbor. _

_"Minato, Minato, get the camera, idiot, he's doing something cute as hell!"_

_A woman, young, beautiful, who's long dark red hair and yellow-orange sun dress were fanned out upon the lush grass around her. The tree above her gave a soft, stained glass shading. Her eyes, a peaceful mix of green and blue, were locked across the lawn to the front porch of a humble white-washed house. The front screen door gave a startling bang as a man practically fell over the thresh hold in his hurry._

_Blond hair, spiked in a wild controlled fashion, and deep blue eyes that shut in small upturned 'u's as Minato grinned, rushing to his wife's side. _

_"Ah, I had to find the batteries, Kushina..." he said, plopping down in his knees and aiming the camera. Kushina smiled, tucking a rogue lock of hair back into the clip that held back her lone bangs._

_"Say cheese, you handsome little devil!" Minato cheered. There was a gurgling laugh, soft and light, and in an instant, the image of a small toddler with soft honey gold spikes and brilliant blue eyes was contained upon the camera's memory._

_"Tousaa!" the little boy exclaimed. Kushina squealed._

_"Narutooooo! Too cute, too cute, I'm never sharing you with daddy!" she cried, gathering up the small child and cuddling him to her chest. The boy laughed delightedly at the wet kisses smothering his perfect cheeks. Minato gave a pout._

_"Maaa, Kushina, don't be stingy..." he prodded, taking a picture of the pair. Kushina stuck out her tongue_

_"He's mine, he's mine! Naruto-chan is all Mommy's!" she sang. Minato cried fake tears._

_"He's mine too...!" he pouted.__ His wife just snickered and looked at the small watch on her wrist._

_"Aren't you meeting up with that man later?" she inquired. Minato sighed, rubbing his hair._

_"Un. Uchiha-san said he's going to be coming directly from another appointment, and he's actually going to be picking me up here." he said. Kushina looked startled._

_"No way! What kinda business man picks up his associates at their homes?! Thats so weird!" she remarked, lifting her son up as he let out a peel of laughter. Minato chuckled nervously._

_"Ah, well... He's is considering going into business with me, so he said he'd get the benefit of seeing what kind of home life I have." he said. Kushina frowned._

_"Thats strange. I thought business had nothing to do with the home life of those involved." she muttered more as a side comment then a direct statement. The blond haired husband shrugged, settling his large palm on his young son's head, ruffling the short blond hair._

_"Nato loves Tousaaa an' Kaasaa!" Naruto chirped, wiggling his arms out toward his older copy. Minato smiled warmly embracing the child tightly._

_"Tousan and Kaasan love you too, Naruto..." he whispered, Kushina leaning in and touching her forehead to her husband's cheek. The air was sweet with the smell of on-coming spring, birds singing a soft melody in the tree that hung above the small family. There was peace, and a silent promise of a happy future.  
_

_"Namikaze-san?"_

_Minato turned, to see a tall black haired pale skinned man leaning against a black town car that had pulled up along side the front curb. The blond man stood to his feet, meeting the suit-clad man halfway across his well kept front lawn._

_"Madara-san, thank you for coming to meet with me!" Minato's voice was cheerful as he shook the pale hand. Madara, with his long spiked hair and dark eyes, smiled gently._

_"It's no trouble, you were on my way. Besides, I like to know the background of the people I'm considering merging with. Its all part of the way I do business, one of the things I'm passing down to my nephew." he said, his voice very deep. The man looked mature, double lines crossing down his cheeks from stress seemed to tell a tale that he had experience with many things that would confuse most people._

_"Ah, that's quite responsible of you. Well then, I'll introduce you to my little family here." Minato offered, gesturing behind his back to his red haired spouse who was just rising to her feet, and the small boy who had scampered behind her legs. Madara closed his eyes in a smile, and nodded._

_"I'd like that, Namikaze-san."_

_Kushina bowed her head respectfully to the visitor._

_"This is Namikaze-Uzumaki Kushina, my wife of three years." Minato stated, placing his hand on the woman's shoulder. Madara bowed back._

_"What a beautiful woman, you're very lucky Namikaze-san." he said. Kushina scoffed what sounded akin to 'damn straight' under her breath while Minato laughed. Madara blinked when there was a sudden tugging at his trouser leg, and his gaze fell downward.  
_

_"Ousa' is tall like Tousa!" came the slightly concerned voice of the small, maybe two year old child. Madara's eyes dilated._

_Bright, bright blue eyes, big and round, seemed to reflect the sky in their depths. The golden locks that were styled like his father, but softer in tone, not as harsh yellow, and fell in more gentle spikes._

_"Ah, and this is my son, Naruto." Minato said rather proudly, lifting the boy into his arms. "Sorry, he's at the age where he's curious about everything."_

_Madara could do little else but shake his head._

_"No need to apologize, he's just a child after all." he said quietly. Minato grinned._

_"Naruto, say hello to Uchiha-san properly!" he urged his son, squeezing him a bit in his arms. Naruto giggled and turned his head back to face the very still Madara._

_"Konichi wa... Uchi-sa!" he sang. Madara's lips curled upward, his eyes never leaving that striking blue. Kushina watched with baited eyes, her brows furrowing ever so slightly._

_"So glad to have met you... Naruto-kun..."_

* * *

Naruto wanted to die.

He wanted to curl inward upon himself and combust into nothingness. Any form of sweet death to release him from the fac that he was no longer with Sasuke. He was so weak, he couldn't even keep himself in one damned house.

"My fox... my lovely, beautiful little fox..." Madara's words were so stale, and empty. Naruto whimpered as the man ran his tongue across his scarred cheek, moving to bite and lick at his earlobe. The pale hands had long ago escaped the boy's vision, but he could feel their poisoned touch burning his flesh, running down his sides and legs.

"Naruto-kun... you naughty boy... you are a bad child..." The man's deep voice reprimed him mockingly. Naruto shook his head.

"Wh-why? I.. I have always done everything you asked of me... I haven't... I couldn't have done anything wrong... Madara-sama..." he cried urgently. His throat felt raw after having tried to scream as much as he had.

The time he'd spent with Sasuke already felt too brief and far too long ago. He tried to remember the feel of the man's hand entwined with his own.

"Naruto-kun, Naruto-kun, Naruto-kun... don't you love me?" Madara whispered harshly into his neck. Naruto stiffened. It was always when Madara was teetering on the edge of some mental void that he'd begin to act like this. The blond couldn't understand it, but he knew that there were different sides to his Master, and that some were far more dangerous then others.

"I love my little fox more then anyone else... my little fox... my little Naruto-kun..." Madara chanted across his collar bone, brushing his lips across the soft skin. Naruto clenched his eyes shut.

This was Madara's... most dangerous side.

Sharpened metal bit into the first scar on the boy's right cheek. Blue eyes shot open, immediately meeting slightly milky black ones. Madara smiled, putting pressure on the thin knife in his hand.

"You remember, my little Naruto-kun...? When I gave you your cute little whiskers? I carved them right in, just like this; slice slice slice, one cheek done, then I did the other. You could still scream back then..." he ranted in a steadily happy tone, as though recalling a fond memory.

Naruto felt panicked sweat coarse down his forehead. He could recall very little of the night Madara gave him the scars on his face, as Madara gave him many scars, but he had a vague memory of how terrible the pain was when one cried openly into fresh facial wounds.

"But its good, isn't it? Screams mean you're suffering... and you stopped screaming... it's because you love me so much, isn't it, Naruto-kun?" the older man nuzzled his face into the boy's opposite cheek, while his knife trailed back and forth across his scars. Naruto swallowed thickly.

"...You... its because.. you had Kabuto-san do something to my throat..." he replied. Madara frowned at first, his face slowly contorting into a more angered expression. The knife sunk into Naruto's cheek, following the pattern of the previous scar.

Another pain-filled scream of agony curled inward, never leaving Naruto's gaping mouth. Cracks of his straining voice and whimpers passed the blond's lips, but he couldn't express the full feeling of having his face cut open once again.

The tears only mixed into the fresh bloodied wound and burned.

"It's because you love me! You see?! You didn't scream just now, because you love me, my little fox, and two who were meant for each other never make the other scream! You know that, don't you?! You agree!" Madara's tone was almost answering _for _the poor boy under him. Naruto bit his lip against the intense pain, not wanting to cry anymore. He was tired.

So tired of everything.

He wasn't even strong enough to fight. But what's worse about the whole situation was that he didn't even know Sasuke was still alive. His heart wanted to believe he was, that Sasuke would save him. The dark part of him was jeering, whispering, telling him that its all his fualt that Sasuke was dead. That it was because of him, because he was the little boy who needed saving.

"He's mine... my Naruto..." Madara whispered into his bloodied cheek. Naruto stared up blankly, tears rolling into the cut, burning him.

Sasuke didn't deserve someone like him. He was fouled. Filthy and used times over. Madara deserved the type of person he was, but not Sasuke.

Still... Naruto wanted so badly to be selfish, he wanted to be greedy and keep the feelings he had in his heart for Sasuke.

Even though he was Madaras...

"Naruto-kun... you cause me such distress. Don't you think you should say you're sorry?" the elder man whispered into his ear. Naruto's vision was fuzzy, clouded due to intense tears.

"Master..." he whispered back, his throat sore and voice strained.

"A dog doesn't know how to apologize..."

* * *

Sasuke hissed, grinting his teeth in pain. Kakashi shot him a tired apologetic look, continuing to stitch the last wound.

"What you did was stupid, Sasuke." The silver haired man scored as he set down the surgical needle and started to wrap the younger man's thigh in thick white gauze. Sasuke glared fiercely.

"What I did didn't matter in the end, the fucker still got him!" he shouted. There was an amused chuckle from the other end of the room. Both Kakashi and Sasuke stared at the man slumped over in a chair, his hands and torso bound to the back, each ankle tied at the legs. Blood dripped down past shaggy red hair, landing with 'plits' onto the hardwood. Itachi loomed over the man, his face blank and serious, as always.

"Care to share whats so damn funny?" Kakashi snapped, and Sasuke would ignore the rareness that came when Kakashi's cursing was considered. Sasori lifted his head.

"I just find it ironic. You made such a big deal about hanging on to that boy and then ended up not even being able to keep him." he sneered. Sasuke lifted himself off his own chair, ignoring the pain in his leg (the painkillers would start working eventually), Sasorie's bruised eyes watched with dull emotion as the man limped towards him, and kocked his head to the side witha well aimed right straight.

"We're going to get him back. Right now. Kakashi, start up the ca-" he was cut off by Sasori's loud 'Ha!".

"You _really _think Madara-sama had order us take him back to where you got him? He might still be in Arakawa district, but he owns the rights to countless underground buildings, places rich men like yourself would never know the location of." He said cruelly. Sasuke clenched his teeth, readying another punch. Itachi stilled his raised fist, pulling a folded paper from his pocket.

"I have already collected the locations of every known Akatsuki Auction House, and anywhere Madara would be known to hide out. It was quite difficult on my part to obtain even this much, so I don't have any places that would seem more likely for him to take Naruto-kun tonight." he stated calmly, handing the list to Sasuke. Sasori shrugged.

"Feel free to spend your time visiting each one, but byt he time you find the right one, that kind will probably already be on his way to another one. After Madada-sama screwed his brains out first, of course." he said with a smirk. Sasuke's hand clutched the paper tightly, wrinkling it. Itachi stepped forward and grabbed a fist full of rusty red hair. Sasori winced, but remained otherwise impassive.

"That is why, Akasuna-san, you will be the one to provide us the location he is currently being held in." the elder of the Uchiha brothers said, his voice calm but deadly. Sasori closed his eyes against the burn in his scalp.

"If thats what you're waiting on me for, you're wasting your time. It would be easier for you to kill me." he said.

"Oh no no, Akasuna." Sasuke gritted out, his eyes holding a sort of crazed desperation and impatience. "If we check every place on this list, I'll just start having some... _employees _start looking for your little blond partner. What was his name again..? Keikara? Deikura?"

Sasori's eyes widened a fraction, his lips slightly parting.

"Deidara..." he whispered. Sasuke smirked.

"Thats it, I was going to say that one next. Deidara. He seemed awful concerned over your well being. I wonder if you could return his feelings? Maybe I could go find him, tie him up, and interrogate him for Naruto's location. I bet he wont take that long to break, if I call in an old family friend, Morino Ibiki..." he drawled. Itachi remained quiet, looked down to gauge Sasori's reaction. Kakshi had looked away, disliking the present side of Sasuke.

"Don't you go near him." Sasori seethed, his face contorting in anger. Sasuke felt a small, small pang of guilt down in the depths of him, knowing that this man must have the same feelings for this 'Deidara' that Sasuke himself had for Naruto. He thrusted the paper under the redhead's bloodied nose.

"You tell us, right now, where Naruto was taken, and I won't have to find your little friend." the dark haired man threatened. Sasori glared at the paper, silently weighing his options.

"You fuckers..." he cursed under his breath, closing his eyes tightly.

"We were told to take him to the hide out at Arakawa's north border. The fifth location down your fucked up list." he answered. Sasuke pulled the paper back, handing it to Itachi. He lade a motion to Kakashi.

"You stay here, watch him." he said, and Kakashi nodded. The younder brother looked to his elder. "Lets go."

They made their way to the door, as fast as Sasuke's limp could take them. Sasori's head shot up.

"Hey, Uchiha!" he shouted. SAsuke turned momentarily. Sasori looked to the ground.

"Promise... you wont hurt Deidara..." he asked in a tone just short of pleading. Sasuke was silent, then huffed, turning away and walked out of the house. Sasori shut his eyes tightly, and Kakashi just sat watching. Car tires screeched out of the drive way, and into the night.

* * *

Pale hands turned white, their grip on the steering wheel growing stronger and stronger.

Sasuke's eyes were glazed over with determination. Itachi sat silent in the passenger seat, eyes the same as his younger brother staring straight ahead. The roar of the engine and squealing of tires were the only sounds to occupy the car.

The car sped past a green street sign with kaji indicating they had entered a separate Ward of Tokyo. Sasuke pulled the paper to his face and checked the adress over for a moment, then tossed it into the backseat, his hand gripping the steering wheel once again.

"Don't act rashly. You can't afford to, not with that injury." Itachi started, still staring straight ahead. Sasuke kept his eyes on the road.

"I'm going to kill him, Niisan." he said. Itachi formed no outward emotion, just continued to stare.

"As much as I would enjoy having that man dead, you will find it difficult to properly care for Naruto-kun from your cell in prison." he replied. Sasuke's teeth clenched together.

"...I'm not making any promises to spare his life. My main priority is Naruto."

Itachi remained silent.

The car came to a loud halt in front of a dingy abandoned warehouse. There were a few soft flickerings of light visible in a few of the windows. Sasuke threw open the door, Itachi following suit. The world was dark, and would remain so until the sun rose once again, but that wasn't for several more hours. There was a crisp, cold wind whipping about, tousling Sasuke's sharp spikes of hair, fluttering his coat as he limped with purpose towards the looming building.

The young man's eyes shone bright, his aura dark and threatening. His hands were fists at his sides as he fought off pain, fury, and exhaustion. He was tired, but it hardly mattered at this point, fatigue pushed aside into the back of his mind like a passing thought.

Itachi kicked in the door.

They had little time to waste.

* * *

Hidan tossed his cigarette on the ground stomping it with the heel of his heavy army-surplus boot. Beside him, on the opposite side of the door he stood guard over, was a sullen looking blond man.

"What the fuck's wrong with you, Deidara? You fucking look like someone pissed in your cereal." Hidan commented, reaching the limits of what he understood was his own 'concern'. Deidara glared at him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Sasori-danna and I were getting the kid back and Uchiha decided to be brave, un." he replied. Hidan let out a bark-like laugh.

"But you got the little Fuck-Toy back, didn't ya'? So what the fucks the fucking problem? He kick you in your nuts or something? What a small target, the little shit's got good aim-" Diedara punched the side of his companion's head.

"No you asshole, Sasori-danna got left behind, un." the blond said. Hidan growled, attempting to slick his silver hair back into place.

"Fuck if I care! You should have just capped that rich bastard and chloroformed the kid while he was still asleep!" he shouted, pulling out a fresh cigarette. Deidara huffed.

"Thats not the way Sasori-danna likes to do things! And besides that, its not like that matters now, un. Madara-san's upstairs with the brat now either way. Uchiha is probably dead, and Sasori-danna is probably injured, walking through the streets, un!" he shouted, taking a deep breath, ready to say more, but Hindan's large hand slapped over his mouth.

"Shut up for a fucking second." he whispered harshly, his ears straining. Deidara glared and tore the hand away from his face, following the silver haired man's example and looking down the hall.

They could hear faint foot steps echoing on lower levels of the warehouse, slowly descending up the wooden stairs. Hidan, not surprisingly, cursed.

"The one fucking night Madara only has the two of us in the place, god fucking damnit." he swore, turning back around. Deidara looked at him.

"Should we alert Madara-san, un?" he questioned. Hidan gave him a look.

"Are you fucking insane? I sure as hell aint fuckin' disturbing him when he's like the way he is tonight. I like being alive, thank you very fucking much." he snapped, pulling a switch blade from his black denim pants pocket. Deidara cringed.

"Good point, un. But I left my gun in Zetsu's car..." he said, checking the pokects of his overcoat. Hidan punched him in the head, returning the favor from before.

"Well it's not very much fucking help to us _there_, is it?! You dip-shit!" he whispered savagely, hearing the footsteps coming up the stairs louder. Deidara growled, clutching his head, opening his mouth to say something, but Hidan lifted a finger.

"Shut up, just shut the fuck up! Whoever is here is probably some asshole from Uchiha's place, which means _you _brought 'em here!" he said as loudly as whispering permitted. Deidara shrunk back, an angry expression in his face. Hidan threw his cigarette down the other end of the hallway.

"You're the only other one here tonight, so if these assholes have guns or some shit, its your ass that's gonna get capped, not mine. You got that?!" he grabbed a fistful of the blond man's shirt, his violet eyes fired.

Deidara snarled at the other man, pushing him out of his face and off of his shirt.

"What are we doing?! It might just be Zetsu with Sasori-danna!" he exclaimed, rushing past Hidan and down the hall.

"Fucking wait! You god damn _idiot_!!" Hidan hissed, looking down the hall behind him before cursing and darting after Deidara.

* * *

The halls were dark, maze-like, with only small light bulbs growing every twenty or so feet out of the dirty yellow brown walls. The two men dashed foreward, the slightly shorter at a more labored pace.

"They're coming, Sasuke." Itachi informed his brother. Sauske nodded, the pain in his leg dulled into a soft ache. For now.

"If one of them is a man with long blond hair, thats the one called Deidara. We'll use Akasuna as blackmail to lessen assault." The elder brother continued. Sasuke once more withheld a response focusing on the task at hand.

There was a sudden rush of footsteps shudder overhead, rushing towards the stairwell. Neither Itachi nor Sasuke paused in their progress. They neared the rickety, aged steps, the footsteps sounding only inches away.

The blond Deidara burst out with an expression of expectancy, only to fall immediately when he came face to face with the hardened glare of Sasuke's dark, dark eyes. A deep seeded flash of fury sparked quick and violently in that brief instant.

Sasuke sidestepped the oncoming man, grabbed the back of his shirt collar, and, using the momentum he had gained rushing down the stairs, threw him to the ground with an explosive crash. Itachi had stopped, glancing over at Sasuke.

"This one fits the description." he said, slamming a foot down onto Deidara's chest, the blond man gasping in a loud choke. Itachi looked to his younger brother, who only glanced at the man writhing beneath his elder brother's boot.

"I'll be right behind you, after I take care of him." he said, giving Sasuke the go-ahead, which the younger man accepted with a nod. Itachi slowly affixed his gaze back to Diedara, after allowing Sasuke to rush onward up the stairs.

"Get the hell off me, un! I'm gonna kill you fuckers, let me go!" the blond gangster shouted. Itachi gazed down with eyes so blank it in itself was far worse then any barrel of any firearm.

"If you even attempt it, I can have your partner, Akasuna Sasori, killed with one phone call." he stated as though his words were akin to the sharpest blade. Deidara stilled, his entire body going rigid.

"...Sa...Sasori-danna...?" he whispered in question. Itachi said nothing, but reached for the small cell phone in his breast pocket. Deidara's brows furrowed.

"I..." he closed his eyes tightly. "Like.. Like I care! He's nothing but a partner for some job I don't even like, un!" he shouted. Itachi's thumb fingered a button on the dialing pad.

"Obviously you think I'm fabricating this. Its not like it matters to me, killing him or not. If you don't care, then he dies. If you secretly do, but attempt to use force against me anyway, he dies. If you retract your statement, and stay still while my brother retrieves something you took, then he'll live. And you'll live." the elder Uchiha reasoned, Deidara's eyes glued to the small telephone as though it were a terrifying entity. The blond gulped.

"...It doesn't make a lot of difference! Th-that kid you're after, he's just a prostitute, un! Why go to such lengths for a person like that?!" he yelled. Itachi shrugged.

"The boy made an impact upon Sasuke's life in a way. Regardless of how little contact they had had with each other. His bond for Naruto-kun is quite strong, you could be reminded of your own attachments for Akasuna-san." he said, finished dialing. He held out the phone for Deidara to inspect.

"But if you're still set on disrupting such a thing, then I can break such an attachment quite easily." he said with finality. The blond man looked away, as though disgusted with either everything that was currently happening, or himself. He slammed his head back onto the floor, closing his eyes tightly.

"Don't do it..." he whispered. Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"No?"

Deidara looked up with dull gray eyes.

"Don't hurt him... I... I won't do anything to stop Uchiha, but if you hurt Sasori-danna, then I _will _kill you." Deidara said with a deep seeded sort of furious heat. Itachi paused, then hit the end button on his phone.

"It's a wise choi-"

There was suddenly a roaring parade of thuds, each louder then the next, and Itachi tesend, turning toward the stairwell. Hidan, who had seemingly taken a trip down the stairs, fell onto the landing, bloodied. And though he had blood streaming from his lips, coursing down from cuts of his eyebrow and rushing from his scalp, staining his silver hair, he had a smug sort of smirk twisted onto his unconsciouses features.

Itachi's eyes narrowed, and slowly he tilted his head upward, eyes seemingly attempting to see through the ceiling.

"Sasuke." he muttered.

* * *

The younger Uchiha Brother did not falter in his fluid stride, only searching for doors that had even the softest light or the most silent whispers issuing from under their jambs. His head felt fogged, glazed over from the painkillers, an unwanted side affect when trying to be as clear-headed as possible.

"I wonder what sort of nasty shit he's already done to that kid?" the voice Sasuke knew belonged to Hidan came from behind him, meaning he had passed the man without noticing. Yet the thought did not send any pang of fear or anxiety down his spine. He was calm, collected, and would not fall for the sake of Naruto.

"Which room is he in. I don't have all night." He demanded. Hidan strolled casually into the dim circle of light, grinning in an arrogant sort of fashion.

"I'll go ahead and _tell_ you, its not like it makes any difference. That kid is probably already getting his brain screwed empty. It's the only room on the top floor, Madara only uses this kind of place when he's in an especially fucked up kinda mood." theviolet eyes fixed on Sasuke, gleaming with malevolence. Dark onyx eyes were cold; narrowed and deadly.

"Then I have nothing more to do with you." he said evenly, turning and continuing to walk forward. There was a small, metallic sound of grating, much like a quick instance of two peices of silverware rubbing together. Sasuke stilled.

"My job is to fuck up anyone who tries to interrupt what Madara does for a hobby. But it seems like everything is all just kinda getting fucked up on its own, so me doing my job doesn't really matter at this point." Hidan drawled. Sasuke looked over his shoulder, eying the poignant glint from the small switch-blade raised in the other mans hands.

"So then you should piss off." The Uchiha advised. Hidan gave a deep 'Hm', as though in mock consideration.

"Any other asshole would. But me, Jashin-sama would want me to kill you, and in the worst possible way." he said. Sasuke rasied an eyebrow.

"Lets get this over with, my leg is going to start hurting like hell again pretty soon, and I intend to be home with Naruto before that happens." he replied, beginning to walk toward Hidan. The silver haired man blinked, caught in momentary surprise that Sasuke was just coming at him with abandon, not paying heed to the weapon.

Hidan went forward with his knife, more then ready to stab away at Sasuke's chest. Dark eyes flashed, and in little effort, Sasuke grabbed the man's wrist and snapped it with his opposite palm.

"_**FU-**!!"_

The scream was cut off as Sasuke wasted even less time by slamming a fist into his nose, hearing the cartilage crack and his lip split. Hidan stumbled back, clutching his face. Sasuke closed the distance, gripped his shoulders as leverage to crush his knee into Hidan's unprotected stomach.

"I told you. I don't. have. time. for. this." Sasuke said each word after striking Hidan in the face, stomach, body, any space he left open. After he had gotten him to his knees, Sasuke's pal hand fisted in the light hair, and he bagan dragging him backwards towards the stairs.

"Fuck! Agh! Get your fucking hands off me!!" came the nasal protests. Sasuke ignored him, dragging him closer to the darkened stairwell. It was like dragging a sack of sand, sand that fought back.

"I wouldn't think about coming after me, my elder brother should have taken care of that Deidara by now, you'll most likely meet up with him when you get down there." the raven said, positioning the elder man on his knees just on the top stair. Hidan's head slouched wearily, but his shoulders began to convulse, and soon, his chuckles filtered to Sasuke's ear.

"You say you aint got no time... but you don't even fucking get it, do you?" he snarled. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Hidan elaborated.

"You think you're not taking up time beating the living shit out of me, but you think it doesn't take the same about of time for Madara to do whatever shit he's doing? You think your the only one that can work that fast? That guy... he's able to fuck up a person's mind as fast as you or you're shitty brother could fuck up a person's body."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly.

"Ya see... he's probably already got that kid brainwashed again, and happily choking on his co-"

Sasuke's foot slammed into Hidan's chest. Violet eyes could only stretch open as the henchman fell backwards. Sasuke didn't stop to assure the descent.

He theoretically shouldn't run (couldn't) on his leg, but it was still in a state of painlessness that would allow him only slight propulsion. He dashed through the dingy halls, climbed two more staircases before he reached the final landing.

There wasn't really a hall, just a small space of extra flooring set up in front of a door. The door had no lock, it barely had a door knob, and there was soft flickering light dancing underneath it. Sasuke's heart sped up, his palms became sweaty.

"Nnngh...! Ah!"

Sasuke felt a lump in his throat.

He could hear noises. Soft whimpers and breaths, a creaking, and deep pants.

His stomach churned unpleasantly, promising vomit at the conclusion of what those sounds were. He knew damn well what those sounds meant.

Sasuke's eyes clenched shut, his teeth baring in his fury.

"You love me only, ne... Naruto-kun...?"

_That_ man's voice. He sounded so sure, so arrogant. Sasuke felt that familiar fury, more intense then at any other point, creep into his veins. His eyes burned when he opened them, the dim light from the only bulb on the small landing creating a ghostly glow, his eyes so deeply dark that they took on a scarlet undertone.

His foot collided with the door, shattering the decrepit wood into a barrage of splinters. The bits rained down around him, and it was an image the Devil himself would quake before. Such a bloodied man, eyes gleaming red, raven black bangs barely concealing such horrifyingly deadly orbs.

The sight he was greeted with did nothing to calm his rage.

He forgot about his talk with Itachi.

Uchiha Madara would die by his hands.

* * *

** Whaaa, what a long chapter!**

**Over 5,000 word count! Are you proud of me, are you?!**

**You're gonna have to wait until chapter 15 for the next bit of this!**

**please be patient! **

**untill then, please feel free to review, as it always makes me extreamly happy when I hear from you all!**

**-Rae-chan**


	15. Chapter 15 final chapter

**I'm sorry. So very, very sorry.Two months plus is way too long, but I wanted the final chapter to be put out in July, to mark the One Year anniversary...**

**So here it is, this would be the final chapter, with an epilogue afterwards. I'm sorry the confrontation that I've been building up for ages is going to be so crappy. I'm really , REALLY useless at action scenes. I tried my best though...**

**

* * *

**There was almost no noise, in that large room, save for the fast, rough breathing and soft strangled whines from the blond boy still under Madara. Sasuke was in a state of frozen fury, his mind so laden with thoughts of brutality and wrath that it crippled his motor skills.

"...Little nephew..." Madara's voice echoed through Sasuke, draining him of his rationality. Sasuke's eyes swam, creating blurred doubles of the image before him that he only needed one of to understand the situation.

His uncle, his own father's younger brother, pulling away (out) from a whimpering, bloodied Naruto, with a look in his eyes that was a far cry from cognition. And then, pushing aside a long strand of black bang, the man tilted his head a bit, and smirked.

"You don't belong to _this_ kind of world, Sasuke-kun. Nor are you desired here."

That burning rage that consumed Sasuke so entirely quickly corroded the ropes of will that restrained them. The man threw himself forward, trusting one arm back against the door frame for propulsion. Madara pulled up his robe, then remained stationary, still straddling Naruto. He let the younger male tackle him to the floor, ramming them both into a small table laden with candles.

Sasuke ignored the feeling of hot wax drenching his hands, they were hot enough with the blood that pumped through his body. Madara turned his head, melted red wax burning his pale cheek and neck. But his eyes and lips still smirked at Sasuke, driving him deeper into his rage.

It took a dozen successive blows to his estranged uncle's jaw, eye, and cheek before Sasuke's already torn knuckles bruised further, and soon became slick with both Madara's and his own blood.

The elder man's body shook, spasms wracking his shoulders, his frame convulsing as laughter tore from his throat. Madara reached a large pale hand up to peal off bloodied wax from his cheek, going as far as to flick it at Sasuke's face.

"Intending to kill me, little nephew Sasuke-kun...?" he inquired, dark eyes half lidded while he smirked. Sasuke spat out a gruff 'tch!' in reply, raising his fist to work on the man's face once more. And yet, while he was making a bloody mess of Madara, his uncle managed to let out barking like laughter. Sasuke growled loudly, grabbing the collar of his robes and pulling him up so their eyes met in a fiery crash.

"Stop fucking laughing!" the younger man seethed, whiplashing Madara's head to crack on the floor boards. Madara grinned through split and bloodied lips.

"You didn't come here to kill me... you dont even have a weapon, little baby Sasuke-kun." he said in just above a whisper, his voice gargled from the blood filling his throat. Sasuke's grip fluctuated, his eyebrows furrowing.

This had to be the reason he was here... why else could he have come other then to destroy his uncle? This rage, this hatred, all of it burned fiercely for Madara's blood. Why didn't Sasuke bring a weapon? Because it would be more satisfying to cremate the bastard with his two hands?

No... Killing Madara hadn't been his first priority...

So then what had?

"Sa...san..."

Sasuke's eyes shot open. Just then; it had only been barely under a whisper. A sound so small shouldn't be categorized as sound at all, but it was there. Under him, he could see Madara's bloodshot eyes looking over his shoulder. Sasuke didn't want to look. He didn't want to take his eyes off this wretched excuse of flesh that shared some matter of his blood.

If he turned around, he'd see that small blond boy, and he would forget his anger. He'd forget the hatred coursing through his viens.

Because when he stared at Naruto, only thoughts of that angelic face filled his mind.

"Sas...san..." there it was again. Naruto's breathy release that sounded so very strained and cracked.. Sasuke bit his lip and tore his gaze away from his target.

The site that greeted him sent an icy chill ran down his spine, and he could taste copper on his tongue where his teeth sank through his lip.

Naruto was laying on the bed, his naked body covered only just by a thin silken sheet. His cheeks were cut to reopen the old scars, blood running down his chin and smearing on the mattress. His arm was outstretched towards Sasuke, shaking and dipping down weakly. Blood drenched the length of the arm, the skin split open from the cords that _had_ bound him to the headboard.

Those big blue eyes were half-lidded, streaming a steady current of tears. Naruto's fingers twitched in an attempt to reach out further.

"Sasu...ke-san..no more..." the small blond whispered, his voice breaking and crackling as though event he effort of speaking so softly would cause harm to himself. Sasuke's eyes furrowed. If it was such an effort for the poor kid to make any noise, why would he waste his strength with a plea for Sasuke to stop?

Why the hell was he asking him to stop?!

"My little fox..." Madara muttered proudly, his eyes glazing over while he stared at the teenager. The cold chill that had overtaken Sasuke body was engulfed immediately in reignited flames, and he forgot Naruto for a moment to spray the eldest Uchiha's blood across the floor. But his fist was grasped before it could find its mark, and Sasuke's eyes were now dead-locked with a pair so very similar.

"You can't kill me Sasuke-kun. You don't know how." Madara's voice was dark, laden with a tone that answered for unknown experience; deadly and rich. Even with more then half his face swollen and bloody, the older man summoned a viscous strength to toss Sasuke away from him.

The action was far less then what would be enough to dissuade the younger raven for long, especially as Madara began making his way to the boy on the mattress.

"Stay the fuck away from him!" Sasuke shifted, pulling himself upward. Madara lurched forward, grabbing a great handful of Naruto's hair and pulling harshly, the blond clenched his eyes and bit deeply into his swollen lip. Sasuke felt the urge to stop dead in his tracks, but knew that doing that would only provide the elder man time to think.

Sasuke dropped into a crouch, growling loudly as he swung his leg around, throwing full force into a kick directed at the backs of Madara's knees. It was his intention to use that moment to get Naruto free, but Sasuke's plan backfired somewhat.

Though Madara _did_ let loose a pained grunt and fell forward, Sasuke had very little awareness that it happened. The pressure of using his injured leg in the kick sent crashing waves of throbbing pain throughout his body. Finally, it seemed, the pain killers had reached their limits.

Sasuke's eyes clenched shut. When Naruto was only feet from him, it was arrogance to think that what he felt was a pain worthy of cringing.

"This is going to stop Sasuke. _Now_." Madara growled, his face finally betraying building anger. Naruto panted, his blood smeared arms at half mast. Sasuke fisted his palms against the floor boards, digging his nails into the wood, scraping up hardened wax.

"You don't even know how to _really _take a humans life. You're just Uchiha Sasuke, President and C.E.O of his Family business.Japan's spoiled brat..." Madara yanked harshly on Naruto's hair, pulling the blond boy's slight frame into his chest. The older man wrapped his arms tightly around Naruto's shoulders, blue eyes peeking out just under a pale bicep.

"You have _nothing_ to do with this, Sasuke! You wouldn't know how to handle a boy like Naruto. He has _special_ needs." Madara's lips turned upward in a smirk, though his eyes still held a crazed possessive fury. Sasuke hissed through tightly gritted teeth, narrowed eyes never leaving the pair of tearing blue.

"_Sas...san_..." Naruto mouthed silently as Madara stroked his pale spikes.

"You could never love him. Because you are indifferent; unattached from everyone around you. You've always been that way. Like Itachi. Like your fool of a father. I can see you, Sasuke. I can see what you are...I can see... I can see..." the elder man began muttering this, ranting, each stanza bringing Naruto closer into his chest. Sasuke still held that blue gaze. Naruto stared at him, tears slipping down bloody cheeks, and Sasuke managed a small, knowing smirk.

"_Lying bastard. You can't see shit."_

Shocks of pain shot through his body as Sasuke pivoted to reach behind himself, grabbing the first thing his hand could touch and hurling it at the man.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHH!!"

Madara immediately released his hold on Naruto as liquid hot candle wax flew into his eyes, splashing over the majority of his face. Naruto winced as he fell to the floor, where Sasuke staggered over and hoisted him into his arms.

"Sasuke...san..." the blond whispered, clutching tightly to the elder man's shirt. Sauske stared past his cargo, to the writhing man still screeching on the mattress.

"_No!! **Noo**! Give him **back**! Naruto-kun! Little bastard, Uchiha **BRAT**! Give me back...!! My Naruto!! **Narutooooo**!!" _

Sasuke closed his eyes, turning away, pushing Naruto's head against his collar bone, covering his ear. Naruto breathed heavily, blood and tears soaking Sasuke's shirt, though it didn't seem to matter.

"I don't have to spill your blood to kill you, Uncle. I know that much..." Sasuke said aloud, though he knew that man was most likely too crazed from pain and... well, insanity, to pay him any attention. Sasuke held Naruto all the more closer.

"Taking him is more then enough.."

Sasuke met his brother's eyes as Itachi stood at the doorway, his face blank. Itachi looked on as Sasuke limped heavily past him, and down the stairs. The elder of the two brothers glanced to the side, stepped forward and tilted a small candle filled table. Though most extinguished, one small lit wick found fuel in a stack of papers bound together as a thin story book. Fire quickly engulfed the hand-written hirigana and kanji, the inked image of a fox and wolf at play eaten up.

Itachi stared through the rapidly spreading flames at his last elder relative who clawed at his eyes and called out for Naruto.

"In the end, You're just like any other Uchiha that came before you. But I don't care about that..."

The long haired man turned, shutting the door behind him and allowing the roar of growing flames to devour the screams and curses inside that room.

At the bottom of the stairs, he reunited with Sasuke, who looked calm, but ready to collapse at any time. Itachi's lips turned upward as he slipped his younger brother's arm over his shoulder.

The pair met eyes, and unspoken confirmation was passed between them. What was happening, what had happened, and what would happen.

"_Lets go_."

But it wasn't said.

* * *

-

-

Kakashi sighed, running a hand through his silver hair, staring up at the white ceiling.

All in all, he was a bit tired of seeing white. Neither was he a big fan of cream, tan, or 'off-white', at the moment. At least the chairs were more comfortable here then in the section of the hospital normal people used.

"Kakashi. Anything interesting happen..?"

Kakashi blinked up at Itachi as the man came in and sat himself down with an elegant heaviness in the chair across from his.

"Take a look for yourself." The silver haired man offered, thumbing to the curtained bed against the wall. Itachi smirked, pulling back the divider a fraction.

"Well... Though they were given different rooms, it seems Sasuke couldn't stay away for long. He sneaked in here on crutches, like some handicapped ninja. Hasn't let go of Naruto-chan since." Kakashi said with a grin, touching a finger to his chin as though in thought. Itachi gave a small huff of a laugh, closing the curtain on the view of his younger brother possessively wrapped around the young blond boy who really didn't seem like he minded.

"This whole ordeal seems to have ended a bit abruptly, didn't it?" Kakashi said. Itachi glanced at him.

"You should be relieved it didn't last long. The last thing I want happening is Sasuke getting himself or Naruto killed because he tried to be overly heroic. It would have just complicated everything if he had taken any more time then he had." the stoic man said. His companion gave a short, agreeing sort of nod.

"So." Kakashi stared, his eyes suddenly serious, fixing on Itachi. The black haired man moved to stared out the widow to Tokyo's early morning fog laden city streets.

"I hope Sasuke knows, thing's aren't going to be free flying just because he has Naruto-chan now. There's the police and official documents to consider... because Naruto-chan's still a minor, they might find a foster home for him rather then consider Sasuke as a possibility." Kakashi mused, knowing that although he preferred being optimistic, there was always a chance things wouldn't go the way the young Billionaire could hope.

Itachi sighed through his nose.

"At this point, its not something I think needs to be worried about." He replied. "Regardless of what anyone says, Sasuke will not be giving up that boy now that he has him once again. He's already proved the lengths he's go to."

Kakashi chuckled a bit.

"I was just naming the worst case scenario. All Sasuke has to do is snap his fingers and not even the government will get in his way. He's an Uchiha after all." he said. Itachi nodded, an undertone of some hidden emotion burried under his calm expression.

"If he had it his way, Sasuke would rather just be Sasuke. Especially after dealing with all this nonsense." the younger man murmered.

"How do you figure?" Kakashi inquired.

"Madara was an Uchiha. Uchiha's are prone to gain God complexes under the right circumstances." Itachi replied. Kakashi was quiet, waiting for his companion to elaborate. The dark haired man breathed in deeply, stretching out his pale fingers to touch the window glass.

"That Madara had found something he'd never had under the pressure of Uchiha youth; innocence. He found Naruto-kun, removed the obstacles that were Namikaze-san and Uzumaki-san, and simply took what he saw as his property."

Kakashi stared at the cieling.

"Uchiha possessiveness can get that sever, huh? Even if the thing they're possessive over isn't theirs int he first place." he chuckled bitterly. Itachi traced the pattern of a fan against the window pane, his mind elsewhere.

"I suppose a lot of it had to do with the fact that Madara was just an insane man to begin with. In addition to that, apparently he had developed serious cornea dystrophy a few years back that was causing his vision to slowly degrade. He was almost legally blind by then." he said. Kakashi slid his gave to his companion.

"Then, he _is_..." he trailed off, the missing word hanging thick between the two. Itachi simply brushed it off.

"He had been before we even got involved."

Kakashi nodded, deciding to stare out at the clouded sky. His dark eyes dulled somewhat.

"Naruto-chan must have really grown up in Hell..." he muttered.

"I could never decide on that."

Both men quickly turned their heads around to see the softly smiling blond teen stepping from behind the bed curtains. Kakashi made a move to stand and offer Naruto his chair, but the boy just waved him off.

"Decide on what, Naruto-kun?" Itachi raised an eyebrow, watching as Naruto shuffled over to the window in his hospital cloths and slippers, gaxing out at the city's early morning life.

"On whether or not the life I was living was Hell." he answered, keeping his voice low since he had yet to gain back a higher pitch without pain involved. Kakashi gaped openly.

"Being treated like _that _and you were second guessing it?!" he questioned outrageously. Naruto gave him a withering look.

"Well, I didn't really know anything else, did I?" he said.

"Still, people _know _when something isn't right no matter how long they're exposed to it." the silver haired man argued.

"Thats not always the case, Kakashi. Now shut up." Itachi ordered, earning Kakashi's lower eyelid to be pulled down. Naruto rubbed the thick guaze on his cheeks.

"Until I knew of Sasuke-san, I just knew that it made me happy when Madara-sama would read to me or treat me kindly. But maybe it was because it was so rare that I became attached to that side of his personality. I hated Madara-sama, but he was all I had... so.. Well, living every day was very, confusing for me." he finished with a light laugh and rub to the nape of his neck. Itachi smiled slightly, move over to put Naruto at ease.

"There are still a lot of things that need to be answered on your part, Naruto..." Kakashi said. Naruto took a large breath and let it out.

"Yeah. I know. But for right now, this can be enough." he said, exression giving way to intense reliefe.

They were silent for a few long moments, every now and then the sound of Sasuke shifting against the bed sheets could be heard, the young business man's body wondering where the other source of warmth had gone off to.

Naruto pressed his palm flat against the glass, feeling the cold that sooth the deep scrapes under his bandages His eyebrows furrowed, eyes suddenly shutting tight against building tears. Itachi noticed instantly the boy's shaking shoulders, his concern spiking.

"Naruto-kun, are you alright? You shouldn't push yourself, you should rest mo-"

"Its not that Itachi-san..." Naruto quickly interrupted, rubbing at his eye.

"I'm just... I don't want to cry anymore!" he stated with conviction. "But, right now, I'm just...! I'm so happy..! I can.. I can be with Sasuke-san...!"

Kakashi smiled cheerfully, clapping a large hand on the boy's shoulder. Itachi looked away, smirking with amusement.

"Happy, huh?" he mused, glancing towards the hidden bed and its restless occupant before closing his tired eyes.

_'...I'll make sure, no matter what, Naruto will not bear any more burdens.'_

Itachi knew without a fraction of doubt, that Sasuke would hold true to those words. Sasuke would make sure that if Naruto ever shed tears again, they would be the same that he was crying now.

Sasuke had Naruto now, and Sasuke meant to keep him.

* * *

**Owari**

* * *

**To be followed by an epilogue coming soon.**

* * *

**-Rae-chan **


	16. Epilogue

**epilogue**

* * *

Sasuke huffed, pulling the last bit of luggage into the foyer, wiping his bangs out of his eyes. He flicked on a light switch, then, with a sort of calm satisfaction, took in his surroundings.

The cabin his grandparents had bought years back was still in living condition, save for some dust here and there. The place was small, and furnished simply, but there wasn't need to be extravagant when it was tucked away in such a wooded area. With a sigh, Sasuke turned and went out to the large front porch, looking out through the trees. He frowned, leaning over the thick log railing to look past the ceiling and up at the sky over head.

_'You've got to be kidding me with this...' _Sasuke bemoaned to himself as the sky grew darker with thick, gray clouds. He thought back to the jacket Kakashi's lover had warned him not to stuff in his duffle-bag, but at the time he had simply explained to Iruka that the weather report had mentioned nothing of rain. The entire drive over had been bright and sunny.

'_You'd think I would have learned from experience by now...'_

Not bothering to dig through his bags and waste time, Sasuke headed out, following a path that lead off from the gravel drive way and into the woods. As he went along, a bit of the pre-rain drizzle started, and Sasuke sped up a bit more.

"He'd better have not run off too far..." the young businessman muttered, following the heavy sent of wet earth and moss. The trees suddenly ended, and he stood staring out over Chuzenji lake.

"Now, where is he? I knew I shouldn't have let him go running off on his own..." Sasuke looked down both ends of the bank, trying to decide if he should shout, or start searching on foot. The latter worried him, as the light drizzle was starting to turn into scattered droplets.

"Sasuke!"

The Uchiha turned, smiling as Naruto, dressed in the new clothes Sasuke had bought for him a few days after leaving the hospital; fitted black shorts and an orange t-shirt with a popular band's logo that acctually fit him. In retrospect, even Naruto had been dressed for weather that just wasnt happening.

"Sorry, I couldn't wait, I wanted to look for frogs, but I couldn't find any..." The blond said, grinning embarressedly while twisting his shirt nervously. Sasuke could see the slight shivering of Naruto's shoulders, and was reluctantly brought out of his hypnotized adoration.

"Naruto, it's going to rain, we have to get back to the house." Sasuke said, taking the blond by the hand and pulling him back along the path. Naruto smiled in a careless sort of way, even though it was now starting to pour down through the trees. Sasuke frowned, trying to sheild both himself and Naruto from the rain. Naruto smirked, and wasn't having any of it.

"O-oi, Naruto!" Sasuke exclaimed as the teen pulled him into a large spin, laughing at the astonished (and wet) expression on the raven haired man's face. Sasuke smirked, sticking his leg out and tripping the blond to fall against his chest. Naruto's laugher ended with an abrupt sort of 'Eeh!' sound when he was heaved up and tossed over the elder man's shoulder.

"You brat, you'll catch a cold!" Sasuke reprimed in a tone that was _trying_ to be stern as he rushed them both back under the porch awning. Naruto chuckled and squirmed down from Sasuke's hold, rushing to the railing and leaning back out into the rain. Sasuke frowned, coming up behind him.

"Hey hey, you really will catch a cold, you know..." he warned softly. Naruto just laughed, propping his chin up on his palms.

"Its fine like this. Besides, I've never gotten sick before." he replied. Sasuke blanched.

"Thats not really the point..." he thought aloud. Daringly, he leaned over Naruto's smaller frame, wrapping his arms around the teen's slender waist and propped his chin on dripping blond spikes.

"Sorry, I didn't think it would rain. We can go do whatever you want when it stops, alright?" he said softly. Naruto gave a short hum in response.

"Its alright, I really like this kind of weather." he reassured his companion. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. All things considered, Naruto should be traumatized of the rain if he had any opinion on it at all.

"Any specific reason?" Sasuke inquired, twisting the blond around to face him (he had just about enough of the boy's attention being else where). Naruto grinned, big and fox-like with shut eyes.

"I really like it, this rain that Sasuke found me in." he answered, saying something as profoundly rattling as it had been to Sasuke as though it were common knowledge.

Sasuke just couldn't take it anymore.

He threw himself onto Naruto, kissing him with a fierceness that was all too easy to be consumed by. Naruto blinked, momentarily startled, before closing his eyes and reciprocating with equal fervor. Sasuke's hands gripped into Naruto's hair, turning the boy's head to deepen such an overwhelming kiss. His tongue pressed between the other's lips, mapping out every inch of Naruto's mouth. Naruto, though sadly experianced, was timid in his efforts to respond.

Sasuke had no doubts at this point. His hands trailed downward, running down the younger boy's back to grip his hips, pressing their bodies closer together. Naruto gave a drawn out whine, bringing his hands up to grip the back of Sasuke's shirt.

"Nnn... Naruto..." Sasuke groaned as their groins were pressed together and shifted, adrenaline rushing from such fantastic friction. Suddenly, both young men hit the porch deck, their knees having sacrificed support in place of the intense desire saturating their senses. Yet the fact that they were now grinding against each other much more horrizontaly then they had been went unnoticed.

All Sasuke knew was he had a beautifully rain-soaked blond haired blue eyed angelic Adonis writhing under him, and that the skin on his neck was so good it should be illegal. And those sounds; breathy pants and fiery whines and mewls...

It was getting to be more then Sasuke could take.

He sat up, knees on either side of Naruto's waist, and, after several tries of being gentle about it, ripped the orange t-shirt right downt he middle. Naruto cried out, frowning through his lust addled mind.

"Sasuke...! I liked that shirt..." he trailed off, pouting slightly. Sasuke tossed it to the side (where it slid off the porch and into the mud), diving back down for more of the newly exposed skin.

"I'll buy you ten more just like it." he said absently. Any reply Naruto could have come up with was cut off by his own breathy gasp when Sasuke's talented tongue found its way to a pert nipple.

"Nnngh! Sa... Sasu...ke..." Naruto stuttered, his fingers tightening their grip on Sasukes shoulder blades. Though, Sasuke thoroughly ignored him, moving across the boys tan chest to give the other nipple attention, keeping pace with his fingers rubbing up and down over Naruto's chest. This, however, proved less then Sasuke could be satisfied with, and soon his ministrations headed south.

"Sa-Sasuke!" Naruto gasped when cold air hit his heated flesh. Where had those shorts that he had been wearing go off to...?

"Haaahn!" Blue eyes squeezed shut as waves of ecstasy crashed over Naruto's body as he was swollowed by Sasuke's hot mouth, and that damnably good tongue. The blond was at a loss with it all, usure of what to do in such a situation for the first time in his life.

"Sasuke! This..! Ah! I can't...! What are you...uhn..!" Naruto bit his lip as Sasuke gave a particularly languid suck on his member, dark eyes glancing up to inspect the reaction. Naruto's face was flushed red, his panting was getting to the point Sasuke was concered he might have a lung condition. But it was beautifull.

And natrually, Sasuke wanted more.

He released the boy's heated flesh from his mouth's embrace, moving to straddle Naruto, all the while removing his wet shirt and pants. The chilled air rushed over his body immediately, though had little effect when he was hotter then he had ever been at that moment.

"Naruto," Sasuke whispered huskily into the writhing boy's ear. " Can I keep going...?" he asked earnestly. Naruto gripped the ground beneath them, his eyes a haze on blue.

"You don't have to ask when I'm already like this..!" Naruto answered, pulling his legs up to wrap around either side of Sasuke's waist. The dark haired man smirked and leaned in, crushing Naruto into a fierce kiss while his fingers trailed downward. Naruto broke the fervet kissing to push against Sasuke.

"Nnn, you dont have to do that, its fine if you just go." he breathed hastily. Sasuke blinked, pulling back.

"I don't want to hurt you..." He trailed off. Naruto shook his head.

"Something like that doesn't hurt me, its fine, just go, _please_!" the blond urged, gripping tightly to Sasuke's shoulders. The Uchiha bit his lip, deciding to not second guess such a direct order.

With a sharp hiss, he pushed forward, groaning at the unbelievable heat that clamped down on him. Naruto moaned loudly, his breathing quick fevered intakes of air. Sasuke clenched his eyes shut, wanting so badly to move, but he was sure that in this tightness, Naruto would surely feel pain.

"Move... please move..." Naruto begged against his ear, and Sasuke wouldn't refuse him. He shifted, pulling away only far enough so as to push back with abandon. Naruto gave one of his amazing moans into Sasuke's chest, and it was all the elder man could do to keep embarrassing groans withheld.

"Sa-Sasuke! I...! So good..! Ah!" Naruto didn't seem to know what was what, as he was thrust into so tenderly and passionately, his mind fogged in an unfamiliar pleasure.

Sasuke could feel a burning coil tighten in his lower abdomen as he rocked faster with Naruto. He wasn't going to be able to keep going at this rate, being as close as he was.

"Ah!" Naruto gave a sharp gasp as his lover's hand snaked around, gripping him firmly and pumping in time with their movement. Tears or pleasure clouded the blond's eyes, and any words he attempted were swallowed up by Sasuke's greedy mouth as he released.

"Kuu... Naruto!" Sasuke breathed as the tightness around him became too much, and he too, reached his climax, releasing himself deep inside Naruto.

The chilled air was filled with the sounds of panting, deep breathing from the two who laid in a close embrace while the rain fell into the forest floor around them. Far off, the sound of water against water as the lake filled with the uncharacteristic July rain.

Sasuke's breathing finally returned to normal, and he glanced to check on his companion's status. It was an endearing sight, a passed out Naruto. As much as he would prefer they could remain where they were, Sasuke didn't want to sleep out on the wide front porch of the cabin, nor did he want an notified Nikko Park ranger to happen upon them.

With a satisfied sigh, Sasuke stood up with Naruto against his chest, and carried the boy into the far warmer house. After laying the blond down and cleaning off both of their bodies, Sasuke finally pulled himself into bed next to the slumbering youth. Though he was tired, Sasuke stayed awake, listening to the rain falling outside and gently brushing his pale fingers through damp blond spikes.

"This seems... a little too perfect." Sasuke whispered to himself, smiling. A tan hand caught and entwined with his own fingers, bringing them to rest against an equally tan collar bone.

"Remember what I told you about thinking too much? At the rate your going, you'll have Itachi-nii's hair style soon enough." Naruto murmured. Sasuke pinched the blond's ear as punishment for saying such a thing.

"I wonder if I should listen to the one who passed out..." Sasuke drawled, resting his head against his arms, propped up on the head board. Naruto's face flamed pink as he skooted his body to lay against Sasuke's abdomen.

"Th-thats...! I didn't pass out, I was resting...!" he reasoned.

"Haaaah, 'resting' even when I was cleaning off all that c- AGH!" Naruto gave a harsh bite to his abdominal muscle before he could finish.

Sasuke pulled Naruto forward with hands on either side of his face, kissing him softly on the forehead before pulling away. Though it was slightly dark in the room from the lack of sun outside, the dark haired man could still see large blinking blue eyes staring at him. Sasuke rubbed his hand against a scarred cheek, frowning that the marks were now darker then they had been before.

"You'd better not be preparing to apologize for anything." Naruto warned, furrowing his brows. Sasuke smirked, tossing his head to the side nonchalantly.

"Am I getting that predictable?" he asked.

"Extremely. But its not so much annoying as that its not necessary." Naruto responded, tuning on his side while laying against the other man's hard stomach. Sasuke sighed.

"Thats a matter of opinion." he muttered. Naruto laid still for a moment, and it was quiet. There was the muffled roll of distant thunder from beyond the safe cabin walls, and the distinct patter of rain that had yet to cease.

"Every time you say your sorry or get that remorseful look on your face, it makes me think back to what you're troubling yourself over." Naruto whispered against pale skin. Sasuke's eyes dulled, guilt beginning its assault on his heart.

"...I'm... I don't know what to say then."

Naruto smiled.

"To someone like me, everything you've said up to now has been enough. I want to continue in this world, by my own merit, and have you with me, but by you're own choice, not because you're tied down by guilt or pity." he said calmly. "I want you're eyes to always be watching me because you prefere no one else. I want to be with you forever."

Sasuke felt his chest relax, as if an infinite wieght was lifted from his shoulders.

"You will be. I'll keep you as close to me as I possibly can, but if you want to leave me at some point, if thats what you want, I'll let you go..." he said. Naruto's head shot up.

"That'll never be the case!!" he urged. Sasuke smiled and chuckled slightly, running a hand through the boy's hair.

"Oh? Well I'm relived then."

Naruto burrowed his face against the hard muscles of Sasuke's stomach, breathing in the earthy sent they had both acquired from the session on the front porch.

_'So, you want to tell me your name...?'_

"I love you, Naruto."

The blond closed his eyes.

'_Nnngh... Master...?'_

"I love you too, Sasuke. And, happy birthday."

Blue eyes slid shut first, followed closely by dark, dark ashen grey.

The rain fell down on the Uchiha family private cabin, and though it was late in July, it fell unfettered. Though it would be seen as an odd sight, such unseasonable weather, it wasn't unheard of.

Some things happen despite what can be predicted. And some things happen regardless of that which is already known.

* * *

**Owari.**

* * *

**-Raechel W.**

**I am so damn sad right now. **

**Its over. Its over. Ame Ni Shichigatsu will never be updated again.**

**I feel like a part of me has grown up considerably, finishing this story. Its been a whole year since I started this (though I realize my 'date of publish' is set on August 8th, I had started the very first chapter one year ago today.**

**Happy birthday Sasuke. Hope you like your present, a happy life for both you and Naruto.**

**Thank you, to every single one of you who read this, gave me reviews that made me laugh, my heart heat up (sometimes my cheeks too heh), a few who made me challenge myself as a writer. And even to the one person in this fics life span that flamed me.**

**I loved it all.**

**So for that, I'm going to try hard to keep you entertained with my other fics. And, if you would please, kindly support me on other fanfictions I will be attempting to write in the future to broaden my abilities.**

**Thank you from the bottom of my heart.**

**And yes, my face is still incredibly red from writing that lemon scene...**


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